Julie Dawn Adds Salt to the Wound ****

Damon Smith of ‘The Metro’ reviewed Willy Wonka Explained- The Veruca Salt Sessions in The Metro on Wednesday. Here was his impression.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then Australian stand-up Matthew Hardy will begin to explain his 30-year obsession with the original and best version of Roald Dahl’s dark fantasy, Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder as the slightly sinister owner of the world’s greatest confectionary brand.

Sat on one side of the stage, supposedly in a therapist;s chair, Hardy waxes lyrical about the 1971 film and its shining star, Julie Dawn Cole, who played obnoxious Veruca Salt. ‘She’ll always be 12 to me,’ he coos, ‘Veruca will always be a cheeky, sassy trouble-making tyke.’ Ten feet away, nestled in a similar chair, Julie Dawn purges her soul also in the guise of emotional healing, railing against the diehard fans who still call her Veruca to this very day and fondly remembering her turn as Dorothy in the York Theatre Royal production of The Wizard Of Ox opposite a young Pierce Brosnan. ‘He played a tree, a role he recreated in Mamma Mia!’ she observes cattily.

So begins an hour of verbal ping-pong between devoted fan and celebrity idol, each telling their side of a story and friendship that began at Melbourne airport and continues today.

Hardy’s assertion that Charlie was a depressed little boy in need of counselling gets big laughs, while Cole reads aloud letters she penned to her mother during the making of the film. ‘Isn’t it funny. Shopping makes me feel good,’ writes 12-year-old Julie Dawn Cole, discovering the pleasures of womanhood before she has even hit her teenage years. Kids grow up so fast…

Damon Smith

Until Aug 29, Pleasance Courtyard, 7pm.

A lovely review of Matthew Hardys ‘Willy Wonka Explained; The Veruca Salt Sessions’ that was published by one4review.

4 stars

****

Julie Dawn Cole is in the psychiatrist’s chair.  Her complaint?  Being endlessly associated with the character she played in a cult film 40 years ago – the brilliantly spoilt Veruca Salt.  On the other side of the world an Australian man also attends weekly sessions with his shrink, sessions which revolve around his enduring obsession with that same character.

This is the concept that allows Cole and Hardy to relate tales from their past and what it means for their present.  Cole looks back on the legacy of being a child star, in the days when being famous at a young age unfortunately didn’t mean millions of dollars in the bank.  What has playing Veruca brought her?  A face that’s recognisable but not famous, a number of failed relationships and some rather odd fans.  Meanwhile, Hardy looks at what made Veruca Salt so special to him.  She reminded him of his childhood, of a more innocent period that he turns to time and time again, one which grounds him as he makes his way through the minefield of his adult life.  The observations are witty and amusing and underlined with a sweetness that makes this a surprisingly touching show.

I enjoyed eavesdropping on the Veruca Salt sessions and it never feels like the performers have outstayed their welcome.  I was comfortable simply sitting back and listening intently as the stories unfolded and intertwined.  Even though there were a number of technical glitches on the evening I attended there is no doubt that the show is a lovely piece of comedic theatre.

So grab yourself a ticket, this show really is golden.

Reviewed by Di

Venue – Pleasance Beneath

19.00 – 20.00