There is a marvellous passage towards the end of the first act of Willy Russell’s evergreen monologue. Shirley has told us about her irritating neighbour Gillian, a master at one-upmanship, when unexpectedly she receives a gift from her. Far from thinking herself superior to Shirley, Gillian turns out to be awestruck. Not only that, but she fully believes the lie that the 42-year-old mother of two is about to elope with a lover.
Equally marvellous is the way Helen Carter plays this twist. As she takes on board the way the other woman perceives her, she transforms before us. She grows younger. Some of the weight of midlife drudgery lifts. She sparkles and glows. In Russell’s voyage of self-discovery, she is becoming herself. Goodbye Mrs Bradshaw, hello Shirley Valentine.
