Bettys keep it real
Realism isn’t for me. I can appreciate it… but I’m more for cutting-edge theatre (with healthy doses of Brechtian influence), performance art (of any kind), and my favourite: physical theatre and (meaningful) contemporary dance. But I’m out of my physical comfort zone, figuring the ins-and-outs and alleyways of Cape Town, so I decided to use the new festival to get out of my theatre-viewing comfort zone too.
The Bentleys Bettys served to break my realism drought. It’s a comedy-drama directed by Cheri-Lee Blackie and written by Grace Newton, which looks at the service industry from the perspective of four young waitresses. They’re trying to make their own way, find a place in the world, juggling their personal issues whilst handling a busy restaurant.
Anyone who’s experienced the unpleasant job of ‘servicing’ – waitressing especially – knows what a ruthless business it is. Long hours. Little pay. Scrounging for people’s small change whilst stretching smiles until your teeth reach your ears. It’s physically and emotionally draining. The cast is sterling in creating these highly believable characters who live this life, day in, day out. And they handle the snappy text with finesse too.
The feel of Bentleys as a busy restaurant is imagined well. Customers stream in. Silly questions are handled diplomatically. Smoke break? Clear your tables! Castle lite, not castle – wrong order. Absent managers. Bill please!
Admittedly, The Bentleys Bettys felt a slow start but I’m unaccustomed to watching realism. It involves ordinary conversations between ordinary people. We, also ‘ordinary people’, must be able to identify with their lives, their inner struggles.
In The Bentleys Bettys, the sad thing is the issues dealt with are ordinary. Alcoholism, low self-worth, monetary anxiety, betrayal, abandonment, the loss of innocence… these issues affect the women in different ways. Issues that touch us all in our lives too – more commonly than we let on.
I won’t give away plot points, but the women seem to be victims of circumstance. Their socio-economic positions have landed them in the service industry. Head waitress and struggling actress, Gina (Roxanne Blaise) tells Chris she’ll ‘get out’ one day as she’s a student. There’s obviously a better life for her, as she has ‘opportunities’. Chris (Keren Lindley) aligns working in the service industry with prostitution, but she draws the line at giving a customer too much of herself just for cash rewards. Unlike Rachel (Hilda Cronje), who mistakes men’s lust for love, until she loves someone… with tragic consequences. Hannah (Tarryn Wyngaard) the “new girl” is thrust into a crazily chaotic world, is seduced by the apparent fun in the fast lane, but quickly learns where she’ll land up if not careful.
The play is sharply witty. Smaller houses tend to be nervous to laugh out loud, and our quiet audience of 10 was no different. The people in front of me smiled throughout, I chuckled a few times, and the tannies behind me giggled at many of the one-liners. Perhaps louder laughter is required, as the rhythm seemed to momentarily stop-start where laughter was expected. Momentarily.
Although it might just be a CT theatrical fling, it’s good to see some realism again. I’m reminded that theatre doesn’t always need to be symbolism and interpretation, a challenge to decode… Art. Sometimes it just needs to be a compelling story, simply told, reminding us all about the real world ‘out there’. – Sarah Roberson
The Bentleys Bettys is on tonight (27/09) @8pm @ Galloway Theatre. Click here for production info.