Laurel and Hardy and the Sons of the Desert are at the heart of Bowler Dessert magazine and Bowler Dessert Online
One Night: Stan
Review
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Programme notes explain. . . "One Night: Stan is based on events that took place on the evening of 18th May 1954. The previous night, Laurel and Hardy had opened at the Palace Theatre, Plymouth where they had a week's engagement. It was to have been the penultimate week of an eight month tour of British variety theatres. "By 1954, variety had seen the rise of 'stand-up comics' like Max Miller, and comedy was being transformed by acts as diverse as Arthur English at the Windmill Theatre and, on radio, The Goons, whom Stan greatly admired. Laurel's roots, though, lay in that earlier tradition: a tradition that, with the boom in TV ownership that followed 1953's coronation, seemed in danger of coming to an end." As Stan Laurel sits alone in his dressing room in 1954, he is faced with the prospect of appearing on stage without his partner Hardy (who has been taken ill) and Stan does not like this. His thoughts and anxiety give way to a rush of memories as he ponders his career, which took him from humble music hall beginnings to international stardom via movies. He recalls, one by one, the influences of his father, then Fred Karno, Charlie Chaplin, Hal Roach and others, reflecting on their words and actions. He has moments of despair, elation and even anger before he faces the final curtain call. Miles Gallant cannot be praised too highly for the clever way he concocted this one-man play. Because he wrote it, he performs it with conviction and an enthusiasm second to none. I had often read about the play but until it arrived at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh this year I had not seen it. I knew I would enjoy it as it had been recommended by many Sons whose judgment I respect. But there is always an element of venturing into the unknown when seeing something like this for the first time.  It took only a few minutes when Miles stepped onto the stage for me to have gained complete confidence that the audience was in safe hands. And, indeed, so was the memory and reputation of Stan Laurel. Miles's deliver was respectful and conscientious. There were a few melancholy moments (but not as many as I had expected) and there were moments of humour, but this play is neither a drama nor a comedy. I think it is probably best considered as a journey into an aging actor's head at a time of crisis - a crisis both professional and personal. Having entered a hero's head through the help of an actor, my next treat was to meet the actor himself. This fellow Miles turned out to be just what I had expected - friendly, modest and accomplished. He patiently answered all the dumb questions which he must hear every day and it was a joy to learn what had prompted him to write such a play. Basically he has a deep love for Laurel and Hardy. I knew I had met a person very worthy of being called a Son of the Desert! The play is superb and not to be missed. Willie McIntyre |
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Christine Craig enjoyed the show on 15th. She
says, "I thought he gave quite an authentic
depiction of Stan. He was pleased when I spoke
to him at the end. Martin and I wore our Laurel
and Hardy T-shirts etc. It was good to see a
cross-section of age groups."