Theatre Review

The first London production in sixty years of the classic autobiographical Welsh comedy by the author of Night Must Fall and The Corn is Green

Presented by Instant Classics in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre

The Druids Rest

by Emlyn Williams

Directed by David Cottis.

Designed by Fiona Parker.

Lighting and Sound by Ben Turnbull.

Produced by Tim Newns.

Finborough Theatre

6 September – 20 September (Sundays & Mondays)

ary Couzens

A review by Reuben Williams for EXTRA! EXTRA!

Upstairs at the uncommonly hot Finborough theatre (currently struggling with a refurb), the stage is ready for the start of the show. The set is quite simple, a glass fronted cabinet in the rear centre of the stage, a dining table stage left and a bench stage right. The back wall depicts an odd backdrop reminiscent of a tropical seascape at night. This fits much better with the temperature in the building than the current production.

The action is set in early 20th century Wales and follows the inhabitants of a Welsh guest house for a few weeks. The pub is run by the village choir master and his long suffering wife. Apart from their two sons, the other characters are mostly linked through their involvement in the choir. The rest of the cast comprises the village policeman, the local busybody/suffragette/Jehovahs’ witness and the resident alcoholic poet/tramp. A fine bunch of characters for a murder mystery, which this is not, what it is though, is a confusing beast.

The opening sections of the play provide a familiar depiction of the stresses and strains of running a business and a family in the same location. We see the mother break down in tears on account of not being able to buy a new sewing machine and we hear about the guesthouse navigating troubled financial waters while the father struggles to satisfy his passion for the choir. Personally I rarely enjoy these kind of dramas, but in the case of this production, it is played with realism and warmth by the cast. For me however the most exciting moments come from Joshua McCord who plays a young boy with an overactive imagination. His excitement is quite contagious and infects the other characters and the play with more intensity maybe because his is the only character who outwardly longs to transcend the situation.

The play picks up pace with the arrival of a mysterious stranger, a man who wishes to travel incognito, whose arrival coincides with two important pieces of news, firstly that there will be a national choir competition held locally and secondly that there is a murderer on the loose. Once this first bit of information adds purpose to the lives of the rest of the characters the play begins to accelerate, it begins to change shape slightly, like an object travelling at speed, it flattens out and becomes more streamlined, the kitchen sink drama turns down a notch or two and we get a touch of farce mixed with a bit of ‘Brassed Off’ style drama as the competition draws nearer.

Bennet Thorpe who plays the mysterious traveller also adds a lot of enthusiasm to the production. His character is a poetry enthusiast and such is the strength of his adulation, I suspect that Bennet himself is as well. As we go into the second act the comedic elements become a bit more defining and Rachel Isaacs’ character gets pottier and funnier in equal measure. The second half also contains more dramatic moments as it builds towards its very Welsh finale.

The Druid’s Rest is a play which would probably be best received by an audience over a certain age; it is quite traditional fare despite being ambiguous in its character. Also the depiction of days gone by might be more likely to resonate better with those old enough to remember how they felt, even if only indirectly. Hopefully, this production will have a popular run.

http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/

Finborough Theatre

118 Finborough Rd
London, SW10 9ED
020 73733842

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