George Don't Do That: MetroStage Honors British Comedienne Joyce Grenfell... But Falls Flat

Photo Credit: Christopher Banks

The Women’s Voices Theatre Festival may be winding down in D.C. proper, but Alexandria’s MetroStage is looking to keep the focus on female-centered stories with their Spring Solo Series. The second of these one-woman shows, George—Don’t Do That: The Music and Magic of Joyce Grenfell, is a love-filled tribute to British comedienne Joyce Grenfell who became a global sensation in the mid-20th century thanks to her intellectual satire and good natured spirit. Despite clear adoration for the play’s subject, the work doesn’t properly explain who Ms. Grenfell is or why she became so famous, information which would be helpful for a modern American audience.

British actor Catherine Flye (MetroStage’s Christmas at the Old Bull and Bush) stars as Ms. Grenfell in this tribute which she has been performing throughout the British Isles since 2003. It’s surprising, then, that so much of this production feels incomplete. On many occasions, Ms. Flye referenced the script as she was performing and, while she did so in a way that kept her pacing natural, it happened enough to become a small distraction.

**For the complete review, head to BroadwayWorld.com

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