Theatre: Moment Of Weakness

Author: Donald Churchill
Original title: Moment Of Weakness
Theatrical title: Chvilková slabost
Language: Czech
Director: Petr Hruška
Genres: Comedy
Cast: Petra Špalková, David Matásek, Sandra Černodrinská
Time: 120m
Premiere: 23. 9. 2016
Theater: Divadlo v Rytířské, Prague

     This theatrical experience started quite funny. We arrived in time and went in to take our seats, when we found out that there were sitting two nicely dressed elderly ladies. The ladies provided their tickets, which clearly indicated our seats. I started to doubt my sanity and checked our tickets - the same seats. Overbooking can happen with airlines, but with the theater... So we rushed for the assistance of the theater staff. Three minutes later the stuff was checking ladies' and our tickets. The poor ladies have tickets for the same seats, same performance, same day of the weak, same date... but in the month time!! I felt so sorry for them, so much preparation and expectation and just to get to know that you are welcome to enjoy the play, but in a month from now. I think the stuff exchanged the ripped tickets and let them go. I felt a bit upset, I would try to find some spot for them, since they arrived and had the tickets, but what I know about theater policies))

Summary:
Audrey and Tony are a middle aged ex-couple meeting at their old weekend retreat to decide who gets what. Tony is re-married and expecting a baby with his new wife, while Audrey is planning to re-marry as well. Are these two exes really over each other?

About the author:
    Donald Churchill was an English actor and playwright. He appeared in many film and television productions over a 35-year period and wrote several TV scripts.
     His films included Barnacle Bill (1957), The Captain's Table (1959), Victim (1961), The Wild Affair (1964), Zeppelin (1971), The First Great Train Robbery (1979), Charlie Muffin (1979) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983) as Doctor Watson. On television he starred in Spooner's Patch (1980-1982) and appeared in Stanley and the Women (1991) and C.A.T.S. Eyes. His plays include Mixed Feelings, The Decorator, and Moments of Weakness.

About the play:
This is a comedy about modern marriage. Audrey and Tony are a middle aged ex-couple meeting at their old weekend retreat to decide who gets what. Tony is eager to get this matter cleared up. He has re-married and his new wife is pregnant. She has come along for the ride, but goes into labor and is rushed to the local hospital. Tony and Audrey are not able to say two words to each other without mutual accusations and abuse. But still he loves her and she still loves him. The question is will they ever admit this to each other and to themselves?

Themes:
Family love: It happens when two people just do not have what to say to each other after 20 years of marriage and fall apart. But sometimes they are just drifting apart my small misunderstanding, faults, impatience. They forget how to listen and feel compassion, they start demanding and take family well-being for granted, until the unexpected happens: one of them has enough and explodes and then the whole world falls apart, and not even the feeling of happiness, mutual love and blissful memories can repair the crack. Emotions are rising, passions are overwhelming, marriages are falling apart.
What can be more important then to avoid this situation in a loving family. To look after each other and listen to each other.

Final thoughts:
I truly enjoyed the play and the performance of the actors. I left with a happy feeling, not empty headed as usually after a comedy, but with the nice and enriching feeling of time spent with quality.