Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine
Pauline Collins owned the role that won Golden Globe, BAFTA , Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Oscar nominations.
For any female actor, Willy Russell's iconic Shirley Bradshaw-Valentine is the 'mega-brill' role of roles.
Many women have played this part but it's stage doyenne Pauline Collins who made the part her own on stage and screen. Collins won multiple awards: Golden Globe, BAFTA , Broadway's Tony, Britain's Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League, and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a flawless performance which achieved the perfect balance between hysterically funny one moment and heart-rending the next.
On stage, it's one woman inventing her world as she speaks to Wall, her only confidant. Inanimate as he may be, Wall listens to all of Shirley Bradshaw's broken dreams, of her marriage to Joe, once full of passion and paint fights, now steeped in the weekly ritual of Chips N Egg accompanied by kitchen-table silence. ( I am not sayin' he's bad, my fella, he's just no bleedin' good.)
Her two children Millandra, and Brian have left the nest and her only chat-buddy is Wall. But a chance meeting with school rival Marjorie Majors, changes everything. Shirley finds out Marjorie's a high-class 'hooka', who always admired Shirley's rebellious bad-girl streak. 42-year-old Shirley Bradshaw tells Wall it's time to take back her life.
When gay divorcee friend Jane wins two tickets to Greece in a contest, Shirley decides to go. To the utmost amazement of her daughter, Shirley decides not to tell her husband, buys scandalous lingerie, and Shirley Valentine is resurrected.
(That's right Millandra. I'm going to Greece for the sex. Sex for breakfast. Sex for dinner. Sex for Tea. And Sex for Supper. It's called The F Plan.)
Russell's text with filled with ribald quotes about life and love, from Shirley's Wall tete a tetes, to her adventures in Greece listening to the infernal What's-wrong with-Greece-A-to-Z- droning of Manchester charter-bus mates, Dougie and Jeanette.
(It's a good job were not having soup, or else I'd put me head in and drown meself.)
When Jane deserts her in Greece for a three-night fling with the "Walking Groin", the solo Mrs. Bradshaw meets restaurant owner / Lothario Costas, who teaches her to love herself 'stretch marks and all.'
Many of Shirley's bitter-sweet realizations, about life, broken dreams, and faded wishes pack a universal emotional punch. As another Bradshaw said (Carrie Bradshaw - Sex and The City) "The most challenging and significant relationship you will ever have, is the one you have with yourself."
As confused and befuddled husband Joe, walks up the island road to finally 'fetch her home', he passes a beautiful woman sipping wine by the sea, and Shirley Bradshaw Ugly Duckling becomes Shirley Valentine, Sensual, Powerful Swan.
