Terence Rattigan, as has been said quite a few times already, has very quickly become one of my favourite playwrights. His dialogue is so intelligent, witty and meaty, his characterisation so dynamic, complex and real, with a real understanding of the human condition and such and the storytelling so beautifully constructed and precise.
Even though not one of his best, with 'The Winslow Boy', 'Separate Tables' and 'The Browning Version' three of the greatest plays of the 20th century, 'Heart to Heart' has much that is so good and interesting about Rattigan's work. This 1962 performance is good and it is intriguing to see such an early performance (that can be viewed as part of The Terence Rattigan Collection DVD box-set, essential for die-hard fans), apparently a commission, of a play of his.
It (this performance of 'Heart to Heart') is not perfect, and there are better productions of Rattigan's plays in the box-set. The picture and sound quality do lack clarity and there are some technical limitations. While most of the productions looked very handsome, they were not high in budget and this and 1961's 'Adventure Story' (the set's weakest, but still watchable) were the worst cases. As with 'Adventure Story' too, some of the performances are very stagy and overacted.
Not everybody though thankfully. Kenneth More, in a kind of role quite far removed from his usual roles, performs with great intensity and charisma. Even better is the ever scene-stealing Ralph Richardson, who certainly does take the acting honours.
Costumes are very nicely done, the drama is compelling with a lot of compelling dynamics and meaty characterisation, and Rattigan's gift for making characters interesting, brilliant dialogue and making an interesting story so insightful and saying so much definitely shines through.
Overall, good early performance though not one of the best in the box-set. 8/10 Bethany Cox
