Review: Dear Liar, Jermyn Street Theatre

At the turn of the 20^th century George Bernard Shaw (Alan Turkington) was one of the most acclaimed playwrights in the world. Critics regularly compared him to Shakespeare, and his plays were popular with the public both in the UK and in America. Yet, while he had a reputation for being brutally demanding of the actors he worked with and would write angrily about his political beliefs, little was known about him until the forty yearlong written correspondence between Shaw and the actress Beatrice Rose Stella Tanner, better known by her stage name Mrs Pat (Rachel Pickup), were published. 
 
Dear Liar is an edited “Best Of…” of these letters, and reveals just how charismatic, complex, frustrating, seductive and awful Shaw could be. But it also tells the story of Mrs Pat, an actor of immense talent who was Shaw’s match when it came to wit and determination, but suffered far more than he did as her star dimmed as she grew older, and personal tragedies affected her in ways Shaw never experienced. Combined it makes for an impressively nuanced work: a character study of two very different but very engaging individuals. 
 
Initially the duo takes turns reading out the letters, with the staging acknowledging that there’s a level of artifice here; there’s no physical interaction between the characters, and the words written are carefully constructed and not the dialogue of a casual conversation. But soon Jerome Kilty‘s adaptation becomes far more playful, editing the exchanges so that they seem more naturalistic, and Stella Powell-Jones‘ direction deserves a great deal of acclaim for taking what could be a stolid two-hander and making it feel vibrant and emotive throughout. 
 
The first half is a very light, playful rom-com, and one filled with memorable dialogue. Though Shaw and Mrs Pat never had a physical affair, there is an enormous amount of lovemaking found within their letters, with Shaw flattering her in quite outrageous ways given that he was a married man. Initially he contacts Mrs Pat to persuade her to appear in one of his plays, but soon he specifically writes one for her and showers her with the most romantic of prose to lure her into playing Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. 
 
The second act shows a very different side to the man, however. Mrs Pat stands up to him, admonishes him for his lack of compassion over the death of her son in the first world war, but he only retaliates in a childish, arrogant and cruel manner as he vents his frustrations about the existence of the war in the first place. Shaw was clearly a man who knew a great deal about love and laughter, but these letters suggest that he tragically lacked empathy, and it’s this fault among all his others which damages his relationship with Mrs Pat the most. 
 
This is a tender if heartbreaking examination of friendship, desire, love, but also rejection and regret. It comes with a script full of quotable lines, and two stunning performances from its cast. Even if you’re unaware of the playwright and his muse this is still essential theatre, and despite their faults it’s all but impossible not to fall for both of these astonishing individuals. 

Adapted by Jerome Kilty
Directed by Stella Powell-Jones
Set and Costume Design by Tom Paris
Lighting Design by Chris McDonnell
Composer and Sound Design by Harry Blake
Associate Director and Movement Director: Elliot Pritchard
Casting Director: Sarah Jones CDG
Stage Manager: Summer Keeling

Dear Liar runs at the Jermyn Street Theatre until Saturday 7th March.