There probably isn’t a better vehicle for Jeanette Cronin’s excellence. The star of theatre and television simply excels in this deliciously bitchy, obsessive production of Queen Bette.
In a collaboration with Peter Mountford, this pitch-perfect play strips Bette right back down to her basics. As the play opens, we see Ms Davis chucking a tantrum that today’s audiences would see regularly.
For the generation, such as mine, who may not have known anything about Bette Davis, this play is a perfect way for people to learn about this extraordinary woman and screen actress. We hear about a starry and glossy 50-year career, her strange childhood raised by two contrasting parents and her transition from the starry stage of Broadway to the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Most of all, Cronin shows Davis was a smart woman, learning how to relate to the camera before many others could. She was nothing short of a pioneer.
Cronin should win every award possible for this, and tour the show as well!
