There is a huge amount of charm in Harvey. The story, about the mild and exceedingly well mannered Elwood P. Dowd, and the six foot three and something inch rabbit he takes on as his best friend, is more charming than funny. It has an old fashioned quality to it, a play of manners set in the United States at a time when class and status still had a lot of clout.
R.H. Thomson does a marvelous turn as the lead and is particularly convincing in the famous lines: “My mother said that in this world you have to either be smart or pleasant.” Dowd is no less smart than any other character in the play, but he chooses to let everyone think what they please as he pursues his delights in the company of Harvey, his best friend. Truly a magnificent actor, Thomson could be reading the phone book and still have us mesmerized.
When Dowd’s sister Vita decides to have him put away so that she can take over the family fortune and find a suitable match for her daughter, the plot creaks into action. Nora McLellan does have some great moments in a rather frantic take on the sister, and her timing was just right as the flustered and much put upon social climber, who winds up in “cold water.”
It is a joy to see Montreal actors in minor parts which they inhabit with such élan and talent. Jane Gilchrist was simply delightful as Ethel Chauvenet and her furry costume should have gotten an equity credit of its own. Moira Wylie was endearing as Mrs. Chumley, and trod the incredibly luxurious (and expensive) set with fabulous style and assurance. Gemma James Smith played what would ordinarily be the dumb blond nurse so intelligently that she got laughs with the raising of an eyebrow and the tiniest inflection of her voice. Walter Massey is terrific as the judge/lawyer, giving his performance a balance of gravitas and mirth. Mike Paterson had a walk on, and handled it with memorable delivery and humanity. In a tiny role, he became the proverbially large actor who filled it out. His psychiatric orderly was competent, and filled the bill. David Francis, looking spookily like Dr Freud, played the part of Dr. Chumley with outrageous aplomb and took to the slapstick and shtick like the seasoned professional he is.
There are no giant laughs in this show, although there are enough deep chuckles to be encouraging. The true meaning of the play lies somewhere in the Celtic definition of a Pooka or shape shifting spirit; it is as evasive as the original legend. One has to suspend one’s disbelief in any number of ways to truly enjoy this play and, for some of us, that is an awful lot of work. Many will find it enchanting to forgo the cynicism that imbues so much theatre these days and head for the Segal for a nostalgic work which opened during the Second World War.
It is not irrelevant to quote the director Diana Leblanc: “I think relevance is an overused word. I don’t see why something has to be relevant to have a direct meaning for today’s world.”
Harvey runs until May 8th at the Segal Centre. 5170 Cote Ste Catherine Road. Box Office: 514 739 7944.
Photo Credit: Randy Cole
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Mike Paterson is spelled with just one "t" in Paterson