Drowning in Veronica Lake

Alex Ellis is a compelling actress. Her flair, strength and emotional range draw the audience into the world of Veronica Lake from the very first moment that one enters the theatre. Alex Ellis presents as the archetypal screen siren clad in a version of her famous pale satin dress in The Glass Key, a shapely silhouette facing the back of the stage.  She turns, and invites us to join her on a sad, mad and exhilarating romp through Miss Lake’s life journey.

Veronica Lake was a blonde bombshell of the 1940s with a seductive tilt to her chin and her iconic peek-a-boo hairstyle.  Phil Ormsby’s script allows Veronica to look back on her life with the knowledge of the current day, with some sadness and bitterness about how reproductive rights were a long way off back in the 1940s and 1950s, for example, and leading to her far-too-early death in 1973 at the age of 50 years.  From the one place on stage, we see Veronica’s difficult mother with a broad New York accent, haranguing her daughter or lamenting her ne’er-do-well ways. The next moment, we are brought into a party hosted by Veronica.  There are also knowing asides, including the value of hindsight with marriage, and the fleeting nature of celebrity.

The famous dress is created by Sara Taylor, with a massive train that creates both a pool of light and a convenient place to hide the embarrassing parts of her alcoholism. The soundscape is immaculate, and the lighting adds to the mood.

It would be nice to think that show business has changed over the past 70 years but it seems that, as in the case of the young Connie Ockelman, later to be turned into the iconic Veronica Lake, showbiz can still devour young hopefuls who seek fame and fortune.

Rachel McGrath-Kerr