The Star & The Fan

Wednesday saw my first visit to the gym unsupervised, a round up of Autumn highlights in the West End for What’s On Somerset Magazine and finally The Fan and The Star and The Star and The Fan, a new play by Jan Harris staring Jenny Logan as fading singing legend Ezzlie and Janice Day as Fran, the not so pliable fan of the title. TF&TS&TS&TF has a lot going for it, although certainly not the daft title. The plot is pretty predictable but sadly most of the best bits have been left out. There are a wealth of ideas here, gagging to be thrashed out on stage with a larger cast and more time. I understand the commercial advantages of a two-hander, the writing wasn’t anywhere near as accomplished as it should have been to pull the idea off.

Logan as Ezzlie (with two ‘zees’) is rather fun, relishing the opportunity to play the imperious lush to the hilt. Day’s performance as Fran is a little more hit and miss and frightfully difficult to pitch, undoubtedly due to the thinness of the script. Andrew Ward performed his minor role as if he was the Stage Manager.

TF&TS&TS&TF (that’s GOT to change!) as presented here is less like a first draft and more like a collection of interesting ideas. Whether it is developed is anyone’s guess.