The Life I Lead – Miles Jupp
Miles Jupp’s achievement, in bringing to life an actor known for only a handful of roles, and doing so in a way that was utterly engrossing and a complete delight, was surely all the more remarkable given the relative obscurity of his subject
The biographical play has become the staple of touring repertory theatre. The single actor, with perhaps a chair or a screen or a hat serving as prop, talks through the life story of Oliver Reed or Quentin crisp or Dylan Thomas, aiming to sate the appetite of an audience hungry to find out what a famous actor, or writer, or poet was reallylike. I can’t imagine many people have thought to ask what David Tomlinson was really like, or indeed remember, without prompting, who he was. Perhaps that’s why the Playhouse has so many empty seats for the opening night of a brief run at the theatre. To those dissuaded from turning up, I can only say it was their loss. Collaborating with writer James Kettle, Miles Jupp’s achievement, in bringing to life an actor known for only a handful of roles, and doing so in a way that was utterly engrossing and a complete delight, was surely all the more remarkable given the relative obscurity of his subject.
The central conceit of The Life I Lead was that Tomlinson wanders downstairs in the middle of the night to be confronted, in his drawing room and dressing gown, by an audience - so he stopped a while to chat. It’s an idea that could only work in the context of live theatre, and while palpably absurd it created an immediate intimacy that was curiously authentic. Jupp has gone on record that his physical similarity to Tomlinson was the catalyst for the show, but he does himself something of an injustice, as it is his considerable acting skills that so thoroughly convince that this is a conversation with a classic old school Hollywood star. While Jupp is a personable fellow, and there is little doubt that it was his evident charm that drew an audience in, it was his performance that held the audience’s attention, and was a timely reminder of how good he can be when not parked in the cul-de-sac of panel shows.
There were great chunks of the evening when Jupp was completely subsumed by the character he played. For much of the night, it is simply Tomlinson on stage, not Jupp, to the extent it was easy to forget that this was fine acting we were watching rather than a charming, elderly man reminiscing about his life. And what an extraordinary life it turned out to be. Sensibly, writer James Kettle quickly dispensed with chronology, as his superbly crafted text hopped about in time and location, in just the way reminiscences are apt to do. The elephant in the room was, of course, Mary Poppins and so rather than have the audience marking time until he got to that part of the story, Kettle instead parcels up Tomlinson’s Disney experience early on. In doing so he presents a touching portrait of both Julie Andrews and Walt Disney, but it’s clear that his focus lies elsewhere.
For the greater part of the play deals with the challenging, fractious, and contradictory relationship between father and son, and Tomlinson’s experiences in both roles. First, we got Jupp brilliantly playing Tomlinson aping his father, whose dark secrets are deftly revealed as the narrative develops, followed by Tomlinson’s relationship with his autistic son, a bond informed by his troubled experiences with his Dad. It is an intricately constructed, yet deeply moving narrative, laced throughout with good humour and positivity – something which seems to come as much from Tomlinson’s attitude to life as Kettle’s writing.
A nod should be given to directors Didi Hopkins and Selina Cadell, who handle the sharp changes in mood that the text presents, so that the gear shifts from tragedy to hilarity never seem forced or contrived. To say more of what is revealed about Tomlinson’s life would be unfair to anyone reading this before seeing the play, but I will say it was astonishing, as was his robust response to events that might have broken a lesser man. As an audience we cannot be sure that this was an accurate portrait, but we can say it was completely believable and hugely uplifting. So while I do not know Tomlinson was the man that Jupp presented, I really hope he was - and if he was, then he was a marvellous gift to the planet.
Was this the best thing I’ve seen an age? I’ll admit that it wasn’t coruscating, life-changing drama or thrillingly action-packed escapism. But, much like David Tomlinson himself, it was delightfully life- affirming, warmly affectionate and tremendously witty. It was certainly the most enjoyable theatrical experience I can recall in a long while, and something I’d happily sit through all over again, if only to spend more time in the company of a wonderful man that I previously knew little about.
