I went to the Trafalgar Theatre to see Catherine starring in Oh Mary! It’s a crazy, subversive farce with Mary as President Abraham Lincoln’s wife. It totally debunks the history of that time, and why not? Mary is manic, alcoholic, prone to childish outbursts and plays with adult humour and mayhem. The audience is glued throughout the 80 minutes of the performance.
It’s farce and pantomime and black comedy delivered at breakneck speed. Catherine was in her element, stretching her character further than we would have thought possible. It’s weird because, horrible as she is to everyone, we also root for her as a kind of underdog. We watch a car crash lifestyle of thwarted dreams in the final weeks of Lincoln’s life, and the show ends with Mary taking to the stage as the cabaret star she believes herself to be.
Catherine is a remarkable actor. She possesses that quality that the best actors have, a kind of animal energy combined with childlike fragility. And she can switch from one to the other in an instant. It’s her intelligence and instinct that underpins it all. She’s an observer; she understands people; their foibles and vanities, the good in them, the stupidity of some and the sheer crassness of others. She nails them and then takes that somewhere more extreme. A place few others would dare to go.
People hang on her every word because they wonder what she will do next. There is always an element of danger. She can be audacious, rude and then suddenly a coquettish little girl with pursed lips. Such an amazing range. All this was on display in her performance.
I met up with Catherine after the show. I first worked with her 40 years ago next month, and it seems like yesterday. She remembered everyone so well from our old youth theatre. I’m always struck by how unaffected she is. The same bright, authentic person, warm and thoughtful. We were interrupted by tourists who wanted a photo, and she was generous and gave them as much time as they wanted. A true professional.
I think she is one of this country’s finest actresses because she has such a range. She can play comedy, tragedy, straight drama, song and dance, cabaret, even. She has it all. But there’s something more. You can tell she cares, that her humour isn’t cynical. It comes from a deep understanding of all of us. She can go to deeper, darker places because she has compassion, and she is fearless, so not afraid to be outrageous. I don’t think many performers have such command of the stage and are so alive in the moment. I’d call her a cheeky and hugely talented national treasure.
