Review: Miranda Is Magic In Biography Of Her Skin

Miranda Harcourt plays herself at Downstage
Season - Oct-9-31 - Book online at Downstage

The Harcourt family are a Wellington institution. They are gracious, charming talented, warm and inclusive and they were all there at Downstage for Biography of My Skin: Peter, Gordon, Kate and the star of the night Miranda. OK so Peter, Kate and Gordon were on the huge screen that backed the stage but Miranda was everywhere as she deserved to be. [Kate was also in the audience on opening night - Ed.]

We went to see the lovely Miranda and she was, as ever, poised, graceful, beautiful, funny and at ease in her so-called bad skin. The skin looked perfect even in old photos but let’s take her word for it. Teenage years can leave permanent scars however imaginary the complaint. She has a light touch our Miranda even when the chips are down, as they sometimes were in this story of her life so far.

The screen cameo performances by friends, mentors, family, and even Princess Diana gave the play a who’s who cast of dozens. The little gems on the screen were a delicious rich topping.

There was a first night difficulty in the imbalance between the amplified screen guests and Miranda’s real voice. And I wish the programme had named these loud off stage contributors. It was a nice touch that she flounced off when her husband did his overbearing trick from the screen.

The full title of the piece is Miranda Harcourt, Biography of My Skin a Self Portrait without Makeup. So who invited Stuart McKenzie? Yes he wrote the play, the programme tells us this fact and he tells us too, repeatedly, from the screen. In the programme he says that he does not appear on the stage. But he did appear. On the screen he is appropriate enough but then after the intermission he turns up on stage. The play ends as a duo, a portrait of a couple one half of which is a domineering, stiff, wooden, typical husband.

Miranda is magic. The screen cast are a bonus of support. The family film clips are fascinating. It’s a clever, perceptive piece of biography, it is witty, it is stylish. Stuart McKenzie has done a great job. On the other hand he did have a wonderful subject. He gave Miranda an opportunity to show her mature assured talent, but he didn’t need to get into the action himself to take the credit.

Miranda With Director Tim Spite on the big screen

Miranda's husband and playwright Stuart McKenzie

ENDS

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