NEW YORK—“My Wonderful Day” refers not only to the title of this play (by the prolific Alan Ayckbourn), but to the essay that 8-year-old Winnie (Ayesha Antoine) has been assigned to write for school. This day finds her in the elegant town house where her very pregnant mother, Laverne (Petra Letang), works as the cleaning woman.
Laverne has ordered Winnie to speak only French on this day, to prepare for the day when they will go to Martinique, home of Laverne’s family. Abandoned by her husband, Laverne dreams of such a day.
Meanwhile, Winnie sits dutifully writing out her essay. Passing before her are the various adults who either inhabit or visit the household. Head of household Kevin (Terence Booth), a rather cool TV talk-show host, keeps his subordinate Josh (Paul Kemp) in tow. Because the men assume that Winnie does not understand English, they pretty much let it “all hang out,” speaking as men do when alone with one another.
Not long into the proceedings, Kevin’s co-worker and mistress, Tiffany (Ruth Gibson), comes onto the scene. As Kevin’s wife is not due home for awhile, Kevin invites Tiffany upstairs.
Winnie watches and listens. She doesn’t speak, except occasionally, in French. But—she does write everything down. (That Winnie is played by an actress in her late 20s doesn’t detract. Ayesha Antoine is entirely convincing and very appealing.)
What follows is a very funny scene in which Winnie, not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to disclose what she knows, cleverly fends off Paula’s queries. But the truth has a way of “outing.”
Paula races upstairs. The harried Tiffany soon appears, draped in what may be a bedspread. Paula insists that Tiffany leave the premises, clothed however.
One crisis isn’t enough. This is Alan Ayckbourn territory, after all. Laverne’s pregnancy has reached epic proportions. She has gone into labor.
All in all, things don’t end too badly. Everyone settles into his or her—what may be called—normal level of behavior. And the very last scene in which Winnie visits Laverne at her hospital bedside after the birth of a fine son is priceless.
Although the play is a farce, Winnie’s presence causes the play to take on an additional tone of seriousness, even of a little sadness. How stupid everybody up there looks—except for an 8-year-old—with whom most of us probably identify.
The entire company has been brought in from the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, England, where Alan Ayckbourn had been artistic director for 36 years until his retirement from that post this year, and where almost all of his 70 plays have received their initial presentations.
Many of us will remember Ayckbourn’s wonderful “The Norman Conquests” from the three-part presentation on Broadway last season, as well as other plays from the past.
Mr. Ayckbourn himself has done the directorial chores here. Designer Roger Glossop has made clever use of a small stage area to imply an elegant apartment of spacious proportions, aided by lighting by Mick Hughes. Costumes by Jennie Boyer complete the effect.
“My Wonderful Day” marks a lovely addition to the current Brits Off-Broadway series at 59E59 Theaters.
My Wonderful Day
59E59 Theaters
59 East 59th Street
Tickets: 212-279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com
Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Closes: Dec. 13
Diana Barth writes and publishes “New Millennium,” an arts newsletter. For information, email: diabarth@juno.com.
