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Old Fools at Southwark Playhouse

March 16, 2018 by Paul Hegarty Leave a Comment

Review of: Old Fools
Price:
£20 plus concessions

Reviewed by: Paul Hegarty
Rating:
5
On March 16, 2018
Last modified:March 16, 2018

Summary:

With its deceptive title this cracking new play will will make you smile and think as you blink back the tears.

More Details

Old Fools by Tristan Bernays is a new play that continues to enhance the already glowing reputation of Southwark Playhouse. Bernays’ piece explores a kaleidoscope of memories that help us glimpse a life that slowly slips and slides away with the onset of Alzheimer’s. The play is handled with great sensitivity and under the creative direction of Sharon Burrell it becomes an endearing, touching and amusing revelation of what it is to love.

Played in an open acting space there is nowhere to hide for this talented company. Each nuanced emotion, suggestive touch, gesture or inflection is revealed in all its complexity. Frances Grey, the vivacious and youthful Vivian, portrays a terrific range of emotions that captures moments in a lifetime of love that transcend both age and time. Time shift is a clever dynamic device in the play, where a word uttered or a mood felt can immediately transport us back in time, as the fleeting memory both delights and disturbs the present under the cruel shadow of dementia. Young Tom, a talented but struggling musician who knows this dark veil will eventually come over him, is safe in the hands of Mark Arends – his performance is entertaining and totally engaging. Arends also delivers a searing, truthful exposure of love and need as he hangs onto his mantra ‘You, me, us and Alice. You are my home.’ This is powerful stuff.

Bernays’ play does a remarkable job in allowing the audience to be informed and witness the slow decline that dementia can cause as it turns sunny loving people into victims of cellular atrophy. Glimpsing a life that once was theirs, in all its richness, can make them angry as they slowly start to emotionally abuse the ones they love. However, despite the deep themes and the sometimes depressing angle it takes, it never wallows too hard in misery – Old Fools shows a life and a relationship that is mainly moving, yes, and funny too. The victor here is love, truth and honesty and that will see Tom and Vivian through to whatever end awaits them. Beautifully crafted by all the creative team, we see characters in this family who are in it for the long run – hopefully the same will be true for Berneys’ play, as it certainly deserves to be seen by a wider audience.

 

Paul Hegarty

Author: Paul Hegarty

Paul is a reviewer and an experienced actor who has performed extensively in the West End (Olivier nominated) and has worked in TV, radio and a range of provincial theatres. He is also a speech, drama and communications examiner for Trinity College London, having directed productions for both students and professionals and if not busy with all that he is then a teacher of English.

Filed Under: Featured, Review Tagged With: Old Fools, Southwark Playhouse

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  • Paul Hegarty

    Paul Hegarty
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  • March 16th, 2018
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