THEATRE REVIEW: For the Love of Mrs Brown, Liverpool Empire Theatre

Mar 11 2008 by Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post

Brendan O'Carroll in his stage persona of Mrs Brown _158

IRISH pensioner Mrs Brown was back in town last night, more outrageous, more sweary and as daft as ever. And she had the kind of success of which other performers dream.

The week-long run of her new show, For the Love of Mrs Brown, is already sold out for the week, and she won a standing ovation at curtain call.

Mrs Brown is the creation of Irish comedian Brendan O’Carroll who not only writes the shows, produces and directs them but stars as Mrs Brown herself.

It is a classic character, a frumpy old Irish widow, often with a fag dangling from her lips, who comes out with some of the filthiest of lines while suggesting a kind of sexual naivety.

Only Mrs Brown could get away with some of this stuff as – above all – she is a loveable and ultimately very funny character.

For The Love of Mrs Brown was getting its British premiere last night – O’Carroll says he wrote it specially for Liverpool’s year of culture – and while it has some bumpy moments it mostly steams along on waves of hysterical audience laughter. The plot has her looking for a date on Valentine’s Night while the rest of the family, including flamboyant gay son Rory, have their own romantic problems.

Elderly neighbour Winnie often pops in to add her own sexual banter to the proceedings.

Daughter Cathy (played by O’Carroll’s real-life wife, Jennifer Gibney) keeps getting interrupted each time her oafish boyfriend is apparently ready to propose and live-in Grandad Brown is on the town chasing women with the aid of Viagra.

The fourth Mrs Brown comedy has much of the same cast as before which allows O’Carroll to test them, adding lines not in the script, although his cast are fighting back with their own ad-libs these days.

The language is strong (lots of effing) and the subject matter generally naughty. But there is also a strange kind of innocence about the play, even some sentiment.

Plotwise it may not amount to much, but it allows just enough story to give Mrs Brown and her family and friends an excuse for several good gags, numerous ridiculous situations and plenty of banter.

Amusing as some supporting cast members are, this is O’Carroll’s show as he allows Mrs Brown to go at it full blast, to the extent in one scene of having her dive through a kitchen window dressed as Wonder Woman. O’Carroll’s Mrs Brown is, indeed, a wonder woman.

philkey