Alfred Uhry’s 1987 play depicting the funny and touching relationship between Jewish former teacher Miss Daisy and her black chauffeur Hoke, with 20 years of the US civil rights revolution as a backdrop, is one of my favourites and the production last night didn’t disappoint.
The play opens with Ian Porter (playing son Boolie Werthan) explaining to his 72 year old mother (Gwen Taylor plays feisty Daisy Werthan brilliantly) why she needs a driver. From the outset we are enamoured at Daisy’s independence, her thinly veiled dislike for her daughter-in-law and her fondness for her own humble beginnings.
Don Warrington (playing Hoke Coleburn) is utterly compelling – balancing respect for and loyalty to his employers with self-pride and a clever wit. It took me a little while to tune into the Deep South accents, but they were convincing.
It moves at a gentle pace with key events such as a temple bombing, stories of lynching, power cuts, visits to relatives, Christmas (“Jews have no business giving Christmas presents”), revelations about illiteracy and Martin Luther King punctuating the growing closeness of Daisy and Hoke. Daisy’s health problems and Hoke’s tender care at the end almost provoked a tear as it was delivered so authentically.
The staging deserves special mention. A simple set in terms of props, that is artfully transformed from house to car to office to road trip. The projected images and sound effects create supermarket car parks, temples and countryside. And offer insights into key developments in the civil rights movement. The turntable allowing the car to manoeuver was used to great effect without dominating.
Perhaps with all the recent media attention on the film “The Help”, this play might generate the sort of recognition that it duly deserves. Running time is one and a half hours without an interval. It’s on in Richmond until Saturday.
http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/driving-miss-daisy/richmond-theatre/
