Mummy loves you Betty Ann Jewel

‘Mummy loves you Betty Ann Jewel’ is a very black comedy musical, originally titled 'Hitler had a Mummy Too' it was written by TV script editor, Suzanne Hawley in 1988. Hawley’s ‘Bodysurfer’ was an AFI Best Screenplay winner.

Aleela Creatives are presenting this experience in The Blue Room Studio Theatre at 53 James Street, Northbridge nightly at 8.30 pm until 1^st May. One matinee on Saturday 24^th April at 2.00 pm.

          You find yourself in the suburban sitting room of the Jewels. Mummy (Jenny McCann) is a world-renowned concert violinist and overprotected Betty (Whitney Richards) her daughter, Precocious little Betty Ann has just made a horrendous discovery – or could it be yet another one of her misandristic mother’s sick pranks?

          Betty leads a very lonely life, rarely being allowed out of the house, because there are MEN out there. She has few friends. Mummy tries to educate Betty as to the ways of life, with flashbacks to times when Mummy was a child, and how she met Betty’s now sadly departed father.

         Mummy has a sharp tongue, and absolutely no compassion or genuine feeling for Betty. However, is Betty as naïve as her Mum thinks? When a special day arrives and there are celebrations, who will receive the best gift? The audience get their own exciting show bag.

We have all experienced family gatherings, where everyone treads on eggshells and it is not long before ‘the truth is out’. Perhaps we have a teenage child who rules the roost. Well with Betty Jewel, it only takes one relative – her mother – for the feud to begin. How can this be when everyone knows that parents only want the best for their child?

The disturbing questions raised by the play is, Heaven forbid – ‘Can we ever escape our conditioning? Or are we destined to become our parents?’

How often have we seen a zany, madcap comedy thrown together, the performers expecting laughs but then simply dying the death? This genre is probably one of the most difficult to carry out successfully; it takes a great deal of planning and skilled acting as any serious drama. For this fresh interpretation, director Sarah Fay has wisely employed two of WA's best acting talents, Whitney Richards an Equity best newcomer nominee, and Jenny McCann, winner of best actress in both the Dramafest and Finley awards. The energy demanded in this 80-minute show is huge, but the frenetic pace is maintained perfectly, whilst this frenzied couple unrelentingly parry their lines.

My only small complaint of this brilliantly novel, and hilarious show, is that it is too frantic and unyielding; by the end, I was fatigued. Some editing would help.

There are several quality shadowgraph puppets, well-designed and operated (Katherine Shaw). Stephen Warren’s set and lighting added excitement to the dialogue, which along with Cory John Rist’s sound effects, gave a few very dramatic and realistic special effects. Merri Ford’s Betty Ann costume was wonderful, in a shocking pink Shirley Temple design.

If time had allowed, Hawley’s ‘Concrete Palaces’ was designed to be run in tandem with this show.

I first saw this off-the-planet, macabre play about three years ago at The Hayman Theatre in Curtin, where the audiences found it hilarious. On seeing this revamped version, I enjoyed it even more. Plenty of belly laughs thanks to the commitment of the cast, and the brilliant interpretation by the director.