Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
It is quite something to see a master story teller, a Queen of Crime, on stage being interviewed by arguably a man whose passion for Liverpool, his appetite for culture and ability to hold an audience’s attention singles him out as one of the finest in the city.
Lynda La Plante is an icon, a woman who has taken on male chauvinism and outdated thought, both in her books and also with her superb television series. She has also risen to the very top of her profession and taken on all around her in both her acting career and in the way she has broken down doors for others to follow. In short Lynda La Plante is a much loved writer who has given the world so much joy and inspiration that it is only right she was honoured by the fantastic Little Atoms group and by those attending the In Conversation With…evening .
Too many who had made their way to St. George’s Hall and wallowed in the experience of having the legendary creator of D.C.I. Jane Tennison, the exceptional television series Widows and countless other programmes including Trial & Retribution and the now admired Anna Travis series of books, was proof positive that Lynda La Plante is not just an author, screenwriter and actor but someone whose life is there as a beacon, the idea that anyone, no matter the background can achieve so much in life.
Being interviewed by Mike Neary, whose own background and unceasingly and dogged research is just as interesting to watch, Lynda La Plante gave the audience an evening never to be forgotten. It has to be said the mark of an excellent interviewer is to know the subject almost as well as they know themselves, and with the precision of a surgeon’s scapel and the smile of a man who knows how much the people of Liverpool love one of their own, he drew laughter, tears of joy and many a fantastic story and reminisces from Ms. La Plante, not just of her own life but wonderful anecdotes of Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt and photos of co-stars at the Playhouse Theatre such as Warren Clarke and Colin Welland.
What makes Little Atoms’ evenings so interesting is the way they skilfully intersect the interview with live music from the subject’s favourite song lists and with Lynda La Plante in the interview chair it was only right that the musicians were all female, something that was very much in keeping with the theme of the evening. With the Beatelles providing a wonderful version of the Beatles track In My Life, the sensational Anna Corcoran play superbly the song Wind Beneath My Wings, the utterly compelling Barbieshop play a version of the Gun’s and Roses classic Sweet Child of Mine in a way that astounded the audience, the brilliant and charming Natalie McCool take on the Dire Straits track Brothers in Arms with such skill that she gave the much loved song a much needed new lease of life and finally Emma Dears who held Lynda La Plante spellbound and transfixed with her interpretation of You’ll Never Walk Alone.
In a celebration of all things Lynda La Plante, from the creativity, strength of character and absolute determination to show that a woman is just as good as a man, Little Atoms, Karen Podesta, Gemma Aldcroft and the brilliant Mike Neary had the perfect guest on what was an exceptional night.
Ian D. Hall