‘A well-written, funny insight into the lives of women actors in the Golden Age of cinema’
Look Up at the Stars is a one-woman play written by Stephen Wyatt, from an idea he co-conceived with star Jessica Martin. It details the life of Patricia Meadows, an actor in British cinema in the 40s and 50s. Set in the 80s, when Patricia is retired and living modestly, rehearsing for a potential interview, the audience is taken on a journey through showbusiness, stardom, and the whirlwind of emotions that arise in a life like this.
Because Look Up at the Stars is so beautifully detailed, I had no idea until today that Patricia Meadows wasn’t a real person. Yes! The film is advertised à la Tár (written and directed by Todd Field, 2022), where the marketing is so strong that we all thought we were in for a biographical drama. When we walked into the Hen & Chickens Theatre, there was a screen on stage showing a compilation of shots from black-and-white films, and we all thought we were seeing this Patricia Meadows! But no, she is entirely fictional; a testament to the research, fascination, and care that Wyatt and Martin clearly have for the lives of Golden Age film stars.
Patricia Meadows may have had a good lot of screen credits to her name, including her starring role in the iconic ‘Look Up at the Stars’ (also fictional, dammit!), but Martin presents her as someone quite grounded, tired. Her portrayal of Patricia is so meticulous that with every sentence, I could vividly picture the chaotic, exciting life of this busy Old Hollywood actor. It was also refreshing to me that Patricia wasn’t a Norma Desmond-type – she wasn’t washed up and bitter, she still received fan mail and her famous ‘Look up at the stars’ quote was thrown back to her now and then. But she’s upper-middle-class at best, her life quiet, and she speaks like… well, like your average retiree 60-something talking about their fabulous and bizarre former life! Patricia is a likeable, funny character, and Martin is a treat to watch.
The direction, by Jason Moore, and set design are strong, too. In place of a recliner, there are two chairs, one wooden and with the cushions placed awkwardly; the telephone rings at the beginning of every scene change, but the conversations are short. Martin, playing such a modest character, doesn’t occupy much space on stage – but where the play may lack in visuals, Martin makes up for most of it with her winning stage presence and Patricia’s humorous personality.
The play isn’t perfect. It can be a little drawn-out at times, and some of the scene transitions are a little awkward; the beginning, especially, is a bit overlong, and the ending, where Patricia talks about her second husband, feels like it is a detail they forgot to add elsewhere in the play and are quickly tacking it on at the end. But Martins is so enjoyable to watch act, and Patricia Meadows is a character with a life easy to immerse yourself in. Look Up at the Stars is a thoughtful and amazing play!
Look Up at the Stars is playing at the Hen & Chickens Theatre until September 27th.