Just a Housewife was reviewed at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Mill Studio, Guildford. More tour dates and venues are to follow.
Just a Housewife sees singer-actress Pippa Winslow and pianist Andrew Hopkins present a collection of show tunes and other popular songs by Maltby and Shire, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, Cy Coleman, Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Kander and Ebb, and more. These numbers are elegantly intertwined around the narrative of Winslow’s life story, taking the audience from her early career, to her marriage, motherhood, housewifery, and latterly her return to the professional stage.
The success of Just a Housewife owes much to Winslow’s innate ability to bring perfectly to life humorous songs such as ‘You Can Always Count on Me’ (City of Angels), ‘Shattered Illusions’ (Fascinating Aida), ‘The Laziest Gal in Town’ (Cole Porter) and ‘Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise’ (William Bolcom). But the evening’s prize comic number is surely the American-Welsh version of ‘Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off’ (Shall We Dance) performed by Winslow in duet with Hopkins, who lends his vocals to several of the songs in addition to entertaining at the piano throughout the show.
The strength of her comedy acting aside, Winslow seemed equally at home in realising poignant emotional numbers such as ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’ (Pal Joey), ‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’ (Sunset Boulevard) and ‘No One is Alone’ (Into the Woods). Other highlights of the show included the classic ‘I’m a Woman’ (by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, featured in Smokey Joe’s Cafe), the condensing of the entire role of Madame Giry (The Phantom of the Opera) into a half-minute snapshot, and a suitably frenetic performance of ‘(Not) Getting Married Today’ (Company).
Evan Ensign’s direction sees Winslow move around the stage gracefully, although some of her spoken links feel a little too polished and could have been given more of an air of spontaneity. If her sung lines seem a little hesitant every now and then, it should be remembered that Yvonne Arnold Theatre’s intimate Mill Studio affords little room in which to hide. Were I granted one wish for future performances it would be that a printed programme be provided, or that all the songs be announced, so as not to keep the audience guessing.
Notwithstanding the above, Just a Housewife is a fine evening’s entertainment, and one for which the performers should be heartily congratulated. Doubtless housewives and working mothers will be able to relate particularly to the show’s humorous subject matter, while the rest of us merely marvel in amazement at the extraordinary plight of the domestic goddess.
Christopher Wiley
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