“Say it with Flowers” , Preview Performance, Sherman Theatre,16 May,2013.Brian Roper,3rd Age Critic.

It’s not far from Pontyberem to Trebanog but when “via” includes marriage to 007 , playing to packed houses in Hollywood and at The London Palladium and suing Rupert Murdoch it seems to be  a lot further.

Dorothy Squires achieved much but it was at a price . Her drive bordered on fanaticism and her career was pursued with scant regard to others , including her family.

The tragedy of international star crashing to obscurity has been played out before so how best to inject a fresh approach?

In this production at The Sherman we are invited to accept the idea of “Dot” as family-loving  despite the fact that she failed to attend the funerals of her mother and brother and was estranged from her closest relative, her neice.It strained credibility but without it this was a fragile production.

The part of Old Dot, played by Ruth Madoc , was one of flashbacks and reminiscence, of a spent force weakening but not softening.This was mirrored by Gillian Kirkpatrick’s young Dot who ably explored the passion and fire of the aspirant diva.She looked the part and attacked the songs with elan.

Matt Nalton playing Roger Moore was suave and convincing in his lack of substance and Aled Pedrick playing brother Freddie did a fine job in reminding Dot of her origins and responsibilities. The niece, played by Heledd Gwynn, wafted well but lacked bite .

The anchor and fulcrum of the show was Lynn Hunter playing the superfan , Esme Coles,who accommodated  the failing and failed Squires in her house in Trebanog when others would not. She played the part of critical friend  with conviction and impeccable timing. She is a large character but is very light on her feet and in her empathy for the plight of her fallen heroine displays more compassion than the star herself appears to have done.

Squires was a woman of passion , for her career and for the love of her life, Roger Moore, who was , according to Squires, less than saintly, but then he had to endure her being described as his mother.

She became dependent on “The Blues”.This is not a reference to the music of the Loughor delta but to amphetamines which became a prop for Squires.

This play has been laboured over ,12 drafts over 5 years , but it is over long.The drama kicks off with the hospital scene but that is in the second half by which time many a cliche has been uttered.

Whilst simulated sex has its merits and swearing is no longer noteworthy there must be a concern that this production is assessed as being suitable for 14 year olds.

The staging was excellent and responsible for much of the dramatic effect on offer although the stage entrances, which  clearly owed much to Houdini ,were somewhat disconcerting.

Squires went from her birthplace,(”The travelling van, Bridge shop field, Pontyberem” ) , to a mansion previously owned by Lilly Langtree but she ended in seclusion in Trebanog Road.

Approaching death others have offered lofty thoughts of their life and times and expressed fond memories of others . Dorothy Squires reportedly said “Don’t bury me in Port Talbot”! So Streatham (South London) got the honour.This production raises more questions than it provides answers about the life of this  tortured soul.