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It is 1942. German bombs are raining down from the sky, and the lights are going out all over Europe.

It has lost none of its power to transfix, thanks largely to an awesome double-act by its principal stars.

Simon Lewis

Except, that is, in a provincial theatre in war-torn England where, despite the destruction, the show must go on, because redoubtable actor-manager "Sir" says it must.

Demanding

The show in question is King Lear and he is about to make his 227th appearance in this most demanding of roles. But with thirty minutes to curtain-up, the ageing martinet is already blighted by severe stagefright, and dresser Norman must rally his beleaguered boss and get him ready for his first entrance, whilst constantly having to remind him of his opening lines.

Without dogsbody Norman to cajole and encourage him, he probably wouldn't even leave the dressing room, never mind go on stage. For it is Norman who has been a rock for him to cling to throughout 16 years, assisting with his make-up, doing his laundry, preparing his costumes and playing agony aunt to the fading star whose grip on sanity is becoming increasingly precarious.

Masterly

Ronald Harwood's masterly and nostalgic portrayal of life offstage, in particular the relationship between Sir and his dresser, has beguiled audiences since its première in Manchester in 1980.

Peter Hall's riveting production at Cheltenham's Everyman Theatre amply demonstrates that it has lost none of its power to transfix, thanks largely to an awesome double-act by its principal stars.

Julian Glover as "Sir"

Veteran Shakespearean actor Julian Glover (above) plays Sir with colossal gravitas, recalling his previous engagements with an affection that rapidly dissolves into irascibility at the prospect of yet another performance as Lear. Running the full gamut of emotions from self-assured overlord to quivering wreck, Glover is magnificent in the role of a true patriot determined to maintain the nation's morale by taking the works of The Bard to every last corner of it, even if the decimated repertory company he calls his happy family is forced to employ actors with a limp.

Magnetic aura

Glover exudes a magnetic aura which never diminishes, commanding attention even when he is silent. If a picture is worth a thousand words, every one of his twisted facial expressions is the basis for an entire monologue.

(His) crystal-clear delivery ensures that every last word he utters becomes an unmissable droplet of gold...

Simon Lewis

Yet for all the intensity of Sir's persona, Nicholas Lyndhurst as his effeminate, brandy-toting valet is anything but eclipsed by Glover's huge presence, and is equally engrossing whenever he is on stage. His ambivalent attitude towards the chief, whom he both reveres and despises, is sensitively portrayed by the supremely versatile Lyndhurst, whose crystal-clear delivery ensures that every last word he utters becomes an unmissable droplet of gold as the delicacy of the symbiotic relationship with his tyrannical master is explored ever more deeply.

Showcase

Touching, often hilarious - the opening moments of the second act, especially the wonderful storm scene, will strike a chord with anyone who has ever worked backstage - yet at times grimly realistic and sad, this production is a showcase for the finest theatrical talents in the country today.

Supported by a capable cast spearheaded by Liza Sadovy as dutiful stage manager Madge, it is Glover and Lyndhurst whose tour-de-force performances make this stupendous presentation of The Dresser worth enduring all but the severest hardship to see.

Unfortunately, this may involve heading for London's West End where it opens on 22nd February for a season, as the remaining performances at the Everyman Theatre are already sold out.

On this evidence, however, they deserve to be.

Review by Simon Lewis

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of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Gloucestershire.

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