A Tale for our times
Just back from The Southbury Child at the Bridge Theatre. This has been receiving 4* and 5* reviews, and this will be no different.
Staged on a simple thrust set, of a vicar’s kitchen parlour with a single, dominating, table running down the centre, the plot point around which the action circulates (and it is a drama with dramatic action) is whether a child should be buried from an ancient church bedecked with Disney helium balloons, as the child’s young mother wishes, and the (comparatively ancient) Vicar doesn’t.
Understanding what is driving him, and her, in a community almost wholly siding with her (in a rather Lady Diana-ish manner) is the ‘point’ of the play achieved through an excellent (and at times very funny) script and polished acting, particularly of course from Alex Jennings as the tortured, and far from perfect, vicar.
It is a play which provides talking points and genuine, moving, tragedy; Stephen Beresford’s script (and original idea) and Nicholas Hytner’s direction make this a ‘well made play’ which I suspect will be (eventually) a certain revival.