Holding court with BBC king of chat
The Age
Wednesday October 14, 2009
THEATRE PARKY €” THE ONE-MAN SHOW Hamer Hall, Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Road, city. Until October 30. Daniel Ziffer Reviewer. PICTURE this: a stage show starring a TV host introducing ageing clips of past glories.In other hands, it would be an indulgent disaster, but with humility and wit, Michael Parkinson's reminiscences form an intriguing night of theatre that forces you to examine celebrity power, television's decline and the wisdom of age.With measured and controlled delivery, the Yorkshireman detailed how his upbringing shaped his life, playing out a moving anecdote where he shifted from comedy to melancholy with all the mastery of a West End professional.The capacity crowd thrilled to clips of John Lennon and an unintelligible Billy Connolly, but it was a series of interviews with Muhammad Ali that showed off Parkinson's many facets.Filmed over 10 years and shown one after another, the boxer ages and declines as the interviews move from light-hearted clowning and incendiary questioning to deep insight.A cricket tragic of note, Parkinson's stories and delivery were always inclusive and well explained.The only criticism was a slight delay between the audio and video in some of the interview segments of the 2-hour show.The staging is sparse €” just a coat stand, piano and a rarely used podium €” but it's all that is needed. Standing in the centre, speaking with a clear voice, Parkinson is holding court.
© 2009 The Age
Share This