It looks and ‘smells’ of the 1970s.
This late work by Terrence Rattigan is simply outstanding. Insightful, passionate writing that in the hands of actors at the top of their game simply sears through you. This is the best play I have seen so far this year, writes Christopher Walker.
The Orange Tree Theatre continues to go from strength to strength with ‘In Praise of Love’, another revival of almost forgotten classics.
The play is set in the 1970s and thanks to the designer Eleanor Dolan it looks and ‘smells’ of the period. Nonetheless, it has exceptional relevance for today, in part because the divided and rancorous nature of Britain then particularly rings true now. Also, because one of the main characters, Lydia, is an Estonian refugee from Russian aggression. She has suffered at the invaders’ hands in ways which would be familiar to Ukrainians today.
Lydia (Claire Price) gives a complex, multilayered performance full of emotional depth. Everything about it is first class, from the slight accent to the physical gestures. She is well matched by Dominic Rowan’s excellent portrayal of her husband Sebastian – A heavy drinking, cantankerous critic.
Both of them have worked in wartime intelligence and excel at keeping secrets – from friends, from each other, and even from themselves. But there is one particular secret which everyone hopes is not true…
The arrival of Lydia’s admirer Mark (Daniel Abelson) further raises the tension, because, unlike Sebastian, Mark has become a hugely successful novelist and grown rich as a consequence. Stress is heightened through Sebastian’s conflict with their young son Joey (Joe Edgar), who reminds his father of his failures, and of the inconsistencies in his Marxist politics.
In the Orange Tree’s little theatre in the round, you feel like you are on stage, and have to restrain yourself from reaching for one of Sebastian’s drinks as the tension mounts.
Booking and full details: https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/in-praise-of-love/
