I was in this show many years ago at school, and I never really understood it then, especially Act 3. I think that I just about understand it now!
I’m not sure how well Thornton Wilder’s play about small town America translates to a British audience, and it is a really really slow burner. I found the first Act almost painful to watch in terms of it’s woodenness and pace, and the stark scenery left my mind wandering.
This play is (I think!) about life and it’s beauty and wonder, and in my head that means that it should be very natural, but it felt anything but. The only time that this production came alive and felt natural was when Emily re-lived her 12th birthday. The set and the costume brought everything vividly to life, and was probably all the more powerful because of the starkness of the preceding Acts. It was like an oasis in a desert. I guess that the message of this play is that life is vibrant and short, so live and revel in every moment so that you don’t miss anything. And, this production definitely conveyed that. So, although it may not seem much at first, it’s a pretty powerful piece.
The acting was still a bit wooden and unnatural, especially I thought from Francesca Henry as Emily Webb; but Miriam Nyarko as Rebecca Gibbs stoke the show as a precocious younger sister.
Not a show to see for outstanding acting and production values, but it’s a gentle, lazy evening at the theatre and shows how effective set and costumes can be. Maybe one for the theatre students to write about…?