HARRY CLARKE ** 1/2 out of ****

PETER PAN * 1/2 out of ****

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS * out of ****

HARRY CLARKE ** 1/2 out of ****

VINEYARD THEATRE

Who is Harry Clarke? Why, hes the alter ego or imaginary best friend or splintered personality of Philip Brugglestein! And who is Philip Brugglestein? Why, hes a kid growing up in the heartland of America, driving his dad bonkers by speaking with a British accent, even though no one in their family has even visited Europe! (Who does this kid think he is, Edwin Hubble?) And why is Philip talking to us from what looks like a patio deck by the water? Not to worry, all your questions will be answered but more will be raised by this dodgy if appealing man.

An unreliable narrator can be great fun, teasing out contradictions, leaving you to second guess your assumptions at every turn. Or in this case an unreliable narrator can frustrate you, leaving an audience wondering exactly what was intended and whether or not they should care.

Billy Crudup holds the stage in this one-person show with his usual magnetic stage presence, ably shifting through multiple accents and characters with aplomb. Philip may be a slippery fellow but hes good, sexy fun and Crudups mastery of the material is the main drawing card of this ultimately unsatisfying work. As a plus for Crudup, Philip is only affecting a British accent so theres no point in questioning how good Crudup is at doing Cockney or posh or gliding back and forth between the two. Hes certainly good enough to get by and thats all we need to believe.

The tone is confessional, with Philip explaining how hes always been good at British accents. A quick story sets this up nicely. Philips father was trying to shoot a home movie and gets furious when his son sounds like Little Lord Fauntleroy. Immediately we hear his parents fighting bitterly, Philip refusing to change how he talks and once the folks are out of the way revealing to the camera a new character Philip has created: Harry Clarke. Philip is shy and timid (he may be stubborn in sticking with a British accent but hes bullied for it by the other kids, naturally). But the brash and forthright Harry Clarke sees what he wants and goes for it.

In the blink of an eye, Philip has moved to New York City, told everyone he meets that he really is British and never, never drops his story for a moment. (When he does try telling the truth to one friend, it does not go well. Philip will never make that mistake again.) One day he impulsively follows a man down the street and overhears the guys conversation. When they inadvertently meet at a play a few weeks later, Philip even more impulsively claims to be the cockney Harry Clarke, tour manager for Sade (!) and a dangerously fun bloke to be around. His new friend turns out to be wealthy and sexually confused, with a shy sister looking to break into music and before you know it Philip/Harry is vacationing on yachts, sleeping with multiple members of this wealthy family and wondering exactly what hes got himself into.