It was almost exactly 5 years ago that I last saw this play, co-incidentally at the Bristol Old Vic studio in a production by Theatre West and the first thing I would like to do is apologise for my original review of that production. I was misled, I thought that the company had made the best of a bad job in bringing a pointless script to stage - how wrong can one guy be?! So what has happened in the intervening 5 years? Well, I suppose, I have seen a lot more theatre, bad and good, and I've read and discussed even more, but that is only a small part of the story, what has actually changed is the sheer standard of the production I have seen.
Simon Godwin's production is, from the outset, tight, efficient, self assured and, above all, totally committed to the text. What bored me five years ago now had me totally engrossed, completely engaged and thoroughly bowled over. The cast of Annette Badland (Harper), Young Joan (Eleanor Bailey), Joan (Cara Horgan) and Todd (Tristan Sturrock) handled the text with apparent ease and understanding taking us through the naturailstic first act, slightly un-nerving second act and on into the near surreal third act as the world descends to total war.
The production itself was visually exciting with a trully memorable move from the first act, in which the child's life quite literally fades into the background through her mirrored transition to adulthood ... this is matched by the utterly engrossing, and very moving, hat parade in which some 40 extra actors (and a lorry) appear. No short cuts here!
I came away utterly convinced that I had seen a superb piece of writing given full rein on stage, something I would remember for a very long time and that would colour my own future directing and writing ... I also felt utterly embarrassed by my previous review, but those were different times and a very different production!
The only thing that didn't work for me was the after show "chat" - its a play with a slow burn that needs you to spend time mulling it over and trying to piece your own thoughts back together - one lady in the session said that "not enough of the dots were joined up", thank goodness says I, if theatre answers every question it raises what role is there for us, the audience, in the process?
Go, see, enjoy .... unless, of course, you need your narrative all tied up in a tidy little bow ;-)
