Famous pop singer, film star (“That’ll be the day” and “Stardust”), TV soap actor (Eddie Moon in “Eastenders”), musical producer (“All the fun of the fair”) and dramatic actor. It’s been a long and successful journey for David Essex OBE.
I went along to see him in Morris Panych’s play “The Dishwashers” last night at Richmond Theatre. The play took a while to get going. Rik Makarem plays Emmett, a young man reduced from a high flying career where he ate in the exclusive restaurant upstairs to washing dishes in the grimy basement downstairs. Here Essex rules over his dark domain as Dressler, a philosophical career dishwasher, who watches over old and mentally and physically frail fellow worker Moss (played by Andrew Jarvis) who at times reminded me of granddad in Only Fools and Horses.
The political and sociological themes in the play could have been prised out and polished a little better – the excessive consumption of those with wealth (“disgusting indulgences”), the lack of appreciation of those who tirelessly tackle the dirty but essential jobs in life and the empty promises of democracy. And perhaps, most important of all, the peace that can be found from an absence of dreams and ambition and a focus instead on being satisfied with doing a simple job well. And the huge value in co-worker support and loyalty.
There were odd gems of dialogue and thought in there – the difference between eating and savouring food, liking crème brulee because you have to break through the hard surface to find the rich creaminess beneath, lessons on how to motivate yourself when faced with daunting drudgery and whether it is better to not have something at all rather than losing it. And what’s worse than washing dishes? Losing your job as a dishwasher.
Love him or loathe him, David Essex was, well, David Essex. The softly-spoken twinkly-eyed cheeky Londoner an integral part of the Dressler character – albeit blended with the wisdom of time and a battered, hardened spirit who refuses to allow bitterness to take a hold.
At times it was uncomfortable viewing – whether from the expression of non-politically correct opinions or occasional cack-handed dramatic performance. But by the end I felt some allegiance with the characters and was genuinely saddened by their plight.
Whilst there’s plenty of humour, it’s not an uplifting play. But it might make you spare a thought next time you are in a restaurant about those working selflessly and anonymously behind the scenes.
http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-dishwashers/richmond-theatre/
