Filumena at Richmond Theatre

This was one of those occasions where I knew nothing about the play or the playwright but the synopsis sounded fun and it starred two names, both of whom I had previously seen on stage a few times, so I was happy to book. Somebody beat me to my usual seats so I had to book at the other end of the front row of the Dress Circle where seat A2 cost a modest £35 with my ATG+ Opening Night Offer.

Going to Richmond Theatre is a habit and so is going to Wagamama beforehand to eat a tofu firecracker and drink a large positive juice.

 

The synopsis set the scene: "Filumena Marturano lies on her deathbed, waiting to marry the man who has kept her as his mistress for twenty-five years. No sooner than they are married, she makes a miraculous recovery, much to the surprise of her new, unwilling husband and his younger lover!" and at the start of the play that had already happened, the story went from there.

It was a gentle story that revealed more of the characters' past and their hopes for the future, with a few surprises along the way. A character driven drama like Filumena needs believable characters and good actors to bring them to life, and this had both.

Filumena was never going to be anything other than a BBC early evening drama, and it did not pretend to be. The production knew what the play is all about and how to make it work which made for an entertaining evening.