Comedy drama for four actors that leans a bit more towards the dramatic than the comedy. Maybe it's because the quartet of thespians is more accustomed to playing it straight or perhaps it due to the translation by actress Mary Dresselhuys (who is one of the foursome) I don't know. It would be nice to compare this version with an English version or even the 1985 television version, but for now let's concentrate on the 1975 stage representation filmed in Het Hofpleintheater in Rotterdam.
Jeroen Krabbé and Willeke Alberti play a pair of young lovers living in London (Dresselhuys didn't bother to transfer the locations or change any of the names into Dutch). He, Gregory, has less experienced in love than she, Ginny. She has just broken off a relationship with an older, married man who is still sending her chocolates and calling her. Greg finds a pair of men's slippers beneath her bed which he deduces must belong to his processors. But like most females, Ginny is an expert at bending the truth to suit her will: she won's divulge whom the slippers belong to, tells him the chocolates are from the book of the month club and that she's off to visit her parents in the country (while she's really going to see her ex to tell him it's really over).
Impetious Greg, who has decided to ask for Ginny's hand in marriage, decides on a whim to be formal and travel to her parent's first in order to get their permission. And so begins the usual convoluted mix-up normally reserved for a John Lanting farce, only much more subdued and quite a bit more believable than usual. Greg arrives first and meets Sheila (Dresselhuys) who supposes the young man has come to ask her husband Phil (Guus Hermus, who also directed) for a job. Phil (Ginny's former boss and lover) in turn thinks that Sheila is cheating on him and deduces Greg wants to elope with his wife. This of course would clear the way for him to concentrate on Ginny. Ginny arrives to dump Phil but finds Greg already in the kitchen and forces Phil to play along as her dad while Sheila remains blissfully unaware. That is until the young man produces the elder's slippers...
With just two sets and four actors, this three act play is amusing but never rolling in the isles funny. The quartet plays their parts well and apart from one curtain that has trouble opening and closing there are no hitches or glitches along the way. The play does end rather abruptly and a bit unsatisfactory however. During the first act, Jeroen and Willeke are a sight to behold as young lovers in a seventies setting, which is very promising. Unfortunately the following two acts are situated in the elder couple's backyard which isn't half as inspired as the earlier set. As noted before, I'll be looking out to find any other version of Slippers to take notes and compare.
Until then, 7 out of 10
Jeroen Krabbé and Willeke Alberti play a pair of young lovers living in London (Dresselhuys didn't bother to transfer the locations or change any of the names into Dutch). He, Gregory, has less experienced in love than she, Ginny. She has just broken off a relationship with an older, married man who is still sending her chocolates and calling her. Greg finds a pair of men's slippers beneath her bed which he deduces must belong to his processors. But like most females, Ginny is an expert at bending the truth to suit her will: she won's divulge whom the slippers belong to, tells him the chocolates are from the book of the month club and that she's off to visit her parents in the country (while she's really going to see her ex to tell him it's really over).
Impetious Greg, who has decided to ask for Ginny's hand in marriage, decides on a whim to be formal and travel to her parent's first in order to get their permission. And so begins the usual convoluted mix-up normally reserved for a John Lanting farce, only much more subdued and quite a bit more believable than usual. Greg arrives first and meets Sheila (Dresselhuys) who supposes the young man has come to ask her husband Phil (Guus Hermus, who also directed) for a job. Phil (Ginny's former boss and lover) in turn thinks that Sheila is cheating on him and deduces Greg wants to elope with his wife. This of course would clear the way for him to concentrate on Ginny. Ginny arrives to dump Phil but finds Greg already in the kitchen and forces Phil to play along as her dad while Sheila remains blissfully unaware. That is until the young man produces the elder's slippers...
With just two sets and four actors, this three act play is amusing but never rolling in the isles funny. The quartet plays their parts well and apart from one curtain that has trouble opening and closing there are no hitches or glitches along the way. The play does end rather abruptly and a bit unsatisfactory however. During the first act, Jeroen and Willeke are a sight to behold as young lovers in a seventies setting, which is very promising. Unfortunately the following two acts are situated in the elder couple's backyard which isn't half as inspired as the earlier set. As noted before, I'll be looking out to find any other version of Slippers to take notes and compare.
Until then, 7 out of 10