Miss Coghill was the lightest, dancingest mote of a Puck one could ask for. It was a stroke of genius on Britten’s part to preserve Puck as a speaking role, and Miss Coghill brought the acting credibility of the spoken theatre to her assignment. She was as much acrobat as actress, and if she had leapt to the chandelier above the audience to proclaim what fools these mortals be, no one would have been surprised.
The glory of this production is Joy Coghill’s performance as Elizabeth Smart. Coghill’s face is as bluntly gnarled, as sensitive and tough, as passionate and deeply wise, as rich with suffering and torment and peace, as some ancient representation of Socrates savouring the hemlock prepared by others but which he himself has willed to take.
...a startlingly good cast led but not dominated by Joy Coghill. The veteran actress gave the kind of performance for which you wait decades in the theatre.
Joy Coghill’s uncluttered and highly effective directing left many a potent memory.
Actress Joy Coghill gave an exceptional performance as Ma, characterizing her mannerisms, from the flat-footed stance to the sparkle in her eyes, with skill and an obvious emotional involvement.
Joy Coghill, a simply wonderful actress who takes the pivotal role of Arkadina, provides a strong centre for the rest of the cast to revolve around and stimulates the most absorbing interaction. [She] delivers a riveting performance.
Actress Joy Coghill and musician/composer Robert Cram have adapted Page’s story and fashioned from it a thoroughly engrossing, totally theatrical experience... Coghill’s portrayal of Babe is mesmerizing, a theatrical tour-de-force, and is perfectly complemented by Robert Cram's atmospherically moody music.
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Albertine at 60 [is] an almost bed-ridden, pill-popping wreck... An expert, edgy performance by Coghill, with suppressed anger finally bubbling to the surface.
There is a unity of design and effect in Joy Coghill’s direction... that must impress every theatre lover. Miss Coghill is working with a script here which offers many temptations to indulge in the mere cute and coy. She resists these and sustains Nicholas Gray’s play in a character which does not falsify human relationship for the sake of whimsy.
Joy Coghill plays the mother, Esther, and through her we understand, sympathize and admire the character. This actress is perfectly cast, her timing, sense of humour and humanity shine throughout the play.
Coghill gives a very skilled, authentic performance that manages to tap into humanity’s wellspring. Glibness and superficiality are avoided... Coghill is a pure delight.
All Rights Reserved Joy Coghill ©2008. Copywriting Susan McNicoll. Website: Thorne Branding & Design