The Importance of Being Miriam

Miriam Margolyes is not only a skilled actor, she’s a wonderful raconteur, a true storyteller. For two hours or so last night, in the first performance of The Importance of Being Miriam, she joked, rambled, confided in the audience and at times moved us deeply in a thoroughly entertaining show. Accompanied by the able John Martin on piano, Ms Margolyes was warm, unpretentious and thoroughly engaging. She began by telling us she couldn’t sing but was going to attempt several music hall songs nevertheless - which she performed with considerable panache, leading audience members all around to sing along unselfconsciously.

Presented in a set which appropriately evoked her love of books and language, the show was an intimate glimpse into her life, with Ms Margolyes creating portraits of important people from her past - her mother featuring prominently - along with recreations of literary figures and memorable scenes from Shakespeare, Dickens, Wilde and others. Ms Margolyes portrayed a range of people of both sexes, seamlessly switching from one to the other mid-scene, and employing her considerable theatrical skills to impressively create entire characters from her voice, face and body language, without the benefit of makeup, props or costumery. A particular highlight was the extended exchange between Mr Bumble and Mrs Corney from Oliver Twist, and Ms Margoyles also channeled both Lady Bracknell and Miss Prism from The Importance of Being Ernest.

The show was a thoroughly polished performance from a talented character actor with bucketloads of charisma and warmth who seemed almost able to cast a spell over the audience. No wonder she was met with such applause when she reiterated that Australia is now her home.

Alex Paige

Photo credit: Gavin D Andrew

Read Coral Drouyn's interview with Miriam Margolyes in the March / April edition of Stage Whispers