Originally published by L.S. Media . April 30th 2012.
L.S. Media Rating ****
Cast: Eithne Browne, Chris Darwin, Francis Tucker, and the voices of Kathy Upfold and Roger Phillips.
What do you if your husband or wife starts acting strangely, their whole demeanour and actions change so much so that you hardly recognise him. Gone is the dependable boring man you have known since before the children came along and in comes someone that all of a sudden smartens himself up and is being chased by his secretary. In this premise lays the beauty of Angel Delight.
Primarily the play is three-hander staged between the multi-talented Eithne Browne, the excellent Chris Darwin and the great Francis Tucker and in the Unity One space they filled the room with one of the most heart-breaking and incredibly funny plays to be held at the Unity Theatre.
Eithne Browne is, quite rightly, a Liverpool treasure, from the voice of the Mersey Ferry to plays such as the smash hit Tartuffe and the superb Blood Brothers at the Liverpool Playhouse to the plays that have resonated throughout the Merseyside area and beyond in Brick up the Mersey Tunnels and Merry Ding Dong. This is an actor who can seemingly do no wrong and her framing performance in Gillian Juckes play will have you feeling every emotion, gut wrenching heartache, joyful and triumphant in her revenge and beautiful in her portrayal.
Joined by Chris Darwin was the brilliant Francis Tucker, who has made a name of being the best dame for any play you want to perform. He portrayed every other character available, from the two inept guardian angels who have been told that they need to buck their ideas up or else they are stuck on marital duties for the rest of their existence to the errant husband who has found confusion and stress at turning 50 relieved by having an affair. Mr. Tucker also gave a marvellous turn as every woman in Jenny’s life, the best friend, the daughter, the wife of Pete’s best friend and the girl Pete has run away with. It is not an easy job to play that many different parts but Francis Tucker does it with aplomb, a relaxed and irresistible smile and at one point a magnificent gleam in his eye where he fails to open the suitcase.
Angel Delight finishes on a question. With Jenny taking a call from her husband asking if they can meet up, the rubric of what should she do after going through hell only to come out the other side more or less intact. Should she take her husband back, would she want to? The audience don’t see a resolution to this except for Jenny coming between her two guardian angels looking resplendent as only Eithne Browne can make her.
Witty, charming, this is a huge piece of absolute brilliance by Eithne Browne and her co-stars. Angel Delight is a must see play for anyone who has been dumped cruelly or not by the love of their life.
Ian D. Hall