Our lives are often fragile things, a house of cards which can collapse completely if just one part is removed. We all know the devastation that can be caused by bereavement or the loss of a job. Chin-Chin is about what can happen when your other half runs off with someone else.
Parisians Felicity Kendal and Simon Callow meet up after discovering their respective spouses are having an affair with each other. Ms Kendal’s character, Pamela, is an elegant, beautiful woman who seems to have it all while Mr Callow’s Grimaldi is a successful business man whose life also seems built on firm foundations.
After all hope of reconciliation is gone the couple take comfort in each other and in alcohol. The downward spiral is turning; the slippery slope is well greased. They are an odd, mismatched couple thrown together by circumstances not of their making. They find common ground and understanding only at the bottom of a bottle.
This makes it all sound rather dour and oppressive. The contrary is true. Chin-Chin is very French and what they call a ‘bitter-sweet comedy’. It is all played very lightly and only occasionally does the froth turn to bile. On the surface everything seems okay, they make do and mend but we can all see what is happening beneath the slowly disintegrating shell.
It is a rare privilege to see two top actors on the stage of the Everyman at the same time and neither Ms Kendal nor Mr Callow disappoint. Both give virtuoso performances – Callow as the always-look-on-the-bright-side bon viveur, always ready with a witty quip or a dismissive wave of the hand. Ms Kendal portrays the one who falls further and her performance is well judged and at times truly moving. Nevertheless, everyone finds redemption and a bright new dawn, and Pamela and Grimaldi are no exception.
There is a strange message here. The author, François Billetdoux, stated that he saw his character’s journey from riches to rags was one of ‘Christian optimism’. He felt there was a very strong moral message in his play – that one can only achieve true happiness and freedom when one is free from the burden of wealth and comfort. One can understand freedom being attained by the loss or shedding of belongings and all of life’s other trappings but to use booze as a means to that end surely cannot be recommended.
Chin-Chin, while not perhaps a great play, is certainly a very good one. It has all the ingredients – comedy, tragedy, nice sets and, above all, two great performances from two great actors. Highly recommended. ★★★★☆ Michael Hasted
