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Memoirs
of a Professional Cad was written and performed by David Harrold
and directed by Sylvia Pepper.
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Memoirs
of a Professional Cad is a one-man show about George Sanders, the
famous Hollywood villain who I'd never heard of.
David
Harold was the voice behind Shere Khan in the Jungle Book (which
I'd never seen) and the villain in All About Eve (ditto), though
I did catch him in Rebecca where he played the evil Jack Favell.
The
ads came with a tag: 'Remember the languid drawl? The lazy contempt?'
I didn't. So this was the problem.
How
could I judge whether David Harrold was a good mimic, or whether
Sanders (the character he played) was actually funny or insightful?
Studio-dominated Hollywood, the world he satirised, has long gone.
The
revelation that his cynicism was superficial was not terribly surprising.
The
quips about Zsa Zsa Gabor (one of Sanders' wives), Tyrone Power
and Yul Brynner sailed over my head.
The
ones I got weren't terribly funny. The jibes about insincere Americans
were trite for my extremely sincere American escort.
It
was extremely dated stuff - Sanders doesn't seem to have the timeless
appeal of someone like Noel Coward.
Harrold
took a while to warm up, and his attempt at indolent serpentine
charm was less convincing and entertaining than the physical comedy
of the second act.
Even
though he has 40's Hollywood good looks, I didn't quite believe
that he was a charismatic Hollywood villain.
It
reminded me of 'Stars in Your Eyes', where the contestants are perfect
mimics but without that little bit extra.
But
it was entertaining and well-written, and I was intrigued to hear
that Harrold career-switched into professional acting only recently.
I
would much prefer to see his other one-man show, First Night and
Still No Trousers, which is about him and his first forays into
the business, understudying for acclaimed actors like Corin Redgrave.
It
would be more authentic, more contemporary and more interesting.
By
Siobhan McAndrew
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