MEMOIRS OF AN ORPHAN BOY

A sentimental account idealizes the author’s carefree childhood in, first a British, then an American, orphanage during WWII. The mischief, humor, and theatrical dialogue remind one of an MGM family movie of the early 1940s. Michael Tudor Barnes's performance perfectly communicates the tone and atmosphere of the material, and tones down its more saccharine qualities. But his considerable skill cannot make up for the text's slightness nor convince us that the persons and events portrayed resemble anything remotely near reality. Y.R. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 03]