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Touched... For The Very First Time

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Trafalgar Studios
Whitehall, SW1A 2DY

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Dir: Douglas Rintoul.
Cast: Sadie Frost


Description: A solo comedy, written by Zoe Lewis, in which Sadie Frost stars as a middle-aged woman narrating her life story.


Trains: Tube: Charing Cross, Embankment Overground network

Phone: 0870060 6632
Website: www.theambassadors.com/trafalgarstudios

 
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Touched hasn't got a prayer

By Fiona Mountford, Evening Standard  11.02.09
 
Touched

Who’s that girl? Sadie Frost is engaging as Lesley who models her life on Madonna

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I must confess to occasional moments of distraction here. As Sadie Frost, the former Mrs Jude Law, recounted her character Lesley’s overwhelming desire to meet Madonna, I kept thinking, hold on, isn’t Sadie at least on decaf coffee terms with Her Madgeness? What sexy Sadie definitively isn’t, though, is the plump 14-year-old from Manchester who kick-starts the action in Zoë Lewis’s one-woman play.

I don’t want to knock Frost, gamely back on the arts pages after a lengthy sojourn in the gossip rags. She’s an engaging if limited performer, who stumbles occasionally over her lines and frolics lithely in her Madonna T‑shirt and leopard-print underwear as she talks us through Lesley’s 22‑year obsession with the queen of pop.

Hooked by the video for Like a Virgin, Lesley proceeds to shape her own existence according to the song lyrics, lifestyle choices and sexual preferences of her heroine.

Lewis offers us no great insights into Madonna, which doesn’t matter, or Lesley, which certainly does. Lots happens — when Madonna outgrows her Material Girl phase Lesley abandons the idea of becoming an investment banker — but these events are nothing more profound than breathless transatlantic stopping-off points for the narrative, or chances for Sadie to change her clothes.

The potential here was for some witty Bridget Jones-style self‑analysis but Lesley remains a sketchy character who infuriatingly grows less wise as she ages.

We learn about some of the people in Lesley’s life, including a dreadful mother with patronising right-on politics and a masochistically loyal school friend. Yet Frost, Lewis and director Douglas Rintoul fail to convince us of anyone’s three‑dimensionality. The dramatic equivalent of American Life, rather than Like a Prayer.

Until 14 March (0870 060 6632,
www.ambassadortickets.com/trafalgarstudios)

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Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

 

Reader reviews (9)

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I felt the whole experience of seeing 'Touched' was brilliant - in such a small space, I felt totally absorbed. Sadie's performance was extremely captivating and in contrast to reviews that doubt her ability to play a 14 year old, I thought she was really convincing and played all the parts with ease.

- Rachel, Kent

Can't believe I was seeing the same play that was reviewed by Fiona Mountford. Very good, and sterling performance by Saide. I give it 5 stars

- Stephen, Ilford

I was there too and loved the performance - utterly engaging and an incredibly tight script. Sadie with her many accents kept me laughing, and the rest of the audience too, for the full hour and a half. She certainly carried it off.

- Gerard, London

I thoroughly enjoyed this Play and Sadie Frost's performance - and there was somebody looking extraordinarily like Fiona Mountford laughing greatly - but obviously I must be mistaken!!

- Dominic French, London UK

I saw Touched last night and to say she fluffed her lines is incorrect. Sadie Frost gave a damn fine performance and for an actress who does little stage work, to do a 90 minute monologue with an audience in touching distance, was an act of courage and bravery and she more than pulled it off. Credit should be given where credit is due, and if Ms Mountford didn't enjoy it, as is clear from her review, she might own up to the fact she laughed on many occasions.

- Jeremy, London

A surprising review. I thought the script was very witty and Sadie the perfect Lesley. A thoroughly enjoyable night out and have recommended it to all my friends.

- Audrey, London

I went to see this last week, and was really impressed with Sadie Frost. Having written her off as nothing more than a pal of Kate Moss', the prospect of watching her for 90 minutes in a one-woman-show was rather daunting.

The concept of one woman playing a role over 22 years seems implausible without special makeup and CGI, but I thought Sadie pulled it off to the best of her abilities.

It's no mean feat in a studio of that size, I say she should be proud of herself.

- Alex, London

I disagree with this review thought Sadie was engaging funny and charming and the play was witty and interesting....
well done to all involved

- Jane, london

I saw a preview of Touched on Saturday and thought it was fantastic. Sadie Frost is incredible, holds her audience and the play is witty - and touching.

- Tara Brown, London


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