★★★

“an unflinching depiction of grief, suffering, and how family can infect”

Personal Values, a new play written by Chloë Lawrence-Taylor and directed by Lucy Morrison, is an unapologetic depiction of grief and isolation through the lens of two estranged sisters.

Firstly, the set design (Naomi Dawson) is fantastic. The clutter and physical chaos of a house that is so rammed with chachka it has begun to retaliate, is arresting. It’s the palpable manifestation of the grief and self-flagellation central to the emotional nucleus of the piece. And it’s deliberately distracting. For both the characters and the audience, the imposing beast that is hoarding looms throughout, its own character, pulling at everyone. It makes for bleak show. But that is the point, so it’s effective.

Two sisters, now in middle age, are reunited – in a conspicuously constrained space– they bicker and blame and mourn. As confessions unfurl, some of the ice inevitably thaws, and the idiosyncrasies and entanglements of sister relationships are depicted with success. Much of the plot is reliant on reveals, so I shall remain vague, but Bea is entrenched in a life-long Hoarding Disorder, thus imprisoning herself in the family home; Veda, on the other hand, ostensibly escaped, but is suffering her own form of incarceration. Much of the piece is naturalistic, with quick two-handed dialogue. In the middle, it tips into a more abstract angle, which is slightly confusing, but ultimately good for the stakes and the drama. Rosie Cavaliero as Bea and Holly Atkins as Veda are both equally excellent, natural but deeply feeling. The script itself was perhaps a little inhibiting for the actors, its dialogue slightly on the generic side.

The piece has two distinct parts, even without an interval. The first was perhaps the more effective: with its focus on sisters, their estrangement and tensions, matched by years of memories and behavioural patterns, it’s a compelling watch. The second half is slightly flatter, exploring the relationship between Bea and her nephew, Ash (Archie Christoph-Allen), as their suffering mounts. Thus, its ending note of hope felt slightly implausible.

Lighting (Holly Ellis) and sound (Max Pappenheim) were also commendable here: flickering lamps lent an eerie, appropriately ghostly quality, whilst an overhead lit square effectively mirrored the prisons these women have made for themselves. A claustrophobic patter of rain underscores much of the piece: it lends an oppressive quality to the dialogue which is palpable.

Personal Values is an unflinching depiction of grief, suffering, and how family can infect. It doesn’t feel quite like a finished product yet, but it certainly explores the quiet tragedy of Hoarding Disorders with subtle grace. The central twist pierces the piece with a further nuance that forces you to reconsider what you just watched, underscoring the naturalism with a darker, more abstract exploration of the spectres of family and mourning.

GHOSTS

Lyric Hammersmith

★★★★★

“A breathtaking new adaptation that should not be missed”

As Gary Owen mentions, adapting a classic play is a challenging process. Numerous things need to be considered, the time the play was originally written, the audience the specific production is destined for, to change or not to change significant plot points and if you do, how far can you take it. A classic play, like Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts originally written in 1881, has survived through time for a reason and some adapters are hesitant to tamper with that. This production, adapted by Owen and skilfully directed by Rachel O’Riordan, is the perfect example that sometimes, when you do decide to make bold changes, it can have the best result imaginable.

Helena decides to use her and her late husband’s money to build a new children’s hospital, which is about to open. But when certain accusations come out regarding his behaviour, rumours start to spread and the trustees feel the need to separate themselves from him. And when Helena’s son, Oz, visits the family home and gets involved with his childhood friend Reggie, dark secrets that have been kept hidden creep out and Helena needs to face the true legacy her late husband has left her.

The whole cast do much more than pull their weight. Their commitment, vast emotional range and easiness in finding the essence of each role elevate the story. In Helena, Victoria Smurfit, we see a survivor, a strong but also broken woman who tries to protect her son from the truth at all costs. The facade of the goddess, always in control and untouchable, gives way to trauma and pain, in a most natural and heartbroken manner. Patricia Allison (Reggie), Rhashan Stone (Andersen) and Deka Walmsley (Jacob) help develop the concept of duality throughout the show, showing that the truth always has two versions and that being rich and poor is essentially two sides of the same coin. Callum Scott Howells as the tortured and lost son Oz is the highlight of the evening. His complicated relationship with his parents has created a sweet self consciousness, a need to be accepted and loved exactly as he is. He is aware that something is rotten in this family and holds on to it tight. That is the only way he knows how to exist: in the shadow of what came before him, because that’s often easier than forging a path of one’s own.

Ghosts is a marvellous continuation in Owen and O’Riordan’s already existing series of collaborations. The text takes us on a rollercoaster ride with its wit, depth, twists and play between absolute horror and tender sympathy. Under a direction that focuses on raw action and reaction in a powerful and modern context, a lot of the original play’s traits change. But the theme of the past and the trouble of the young when carrying the burden of what came before them is still there, resonating in a time when history seems to be dangerously close to repeating itself.

Commendation needs to be given to the set design (Merle Hensel). A borderline claustrophobic and unnaturally simple living room with pictures of a man’s back of the head from different angles plastered all over the walls give us the sense that this isn’t a home and never has been. The man on the black and white pictures could be the deceased father himself, out of Helena and Oz’s life, but still very much a presence that impacts them. Sound design and music (Donato Wharton and Simon Slater) are sharp, uncomfortable, perfectly complementing the darkness and shocking revelations the characters are faced with.

A breathtaking new adaptation that should not be missed, Ghosts demonstrates how classics can work spectacularly for different times and ages without any compromise.

PERSONAL VALUES

Hampstead Theatre

★★★

“an unflinching depiction of grief, suffering, and how family can infect”

PERSONAL VALUES

Hampstead Theatre

Reviewed on 22nd April 2025

by Violet Howson

Photography by Helen Murray

Previously reviewed at this venue:

PERSONAL VALUES

PERSONAL VALUES

PERSONAL VALUES

GHOSTS

Lyric Hammersmith

★★★★★

“A breathtaking new adaptation that should not be missed”

GHOSTS

Lyric Hammersmith

Reviewed on 16th April 2025

by Stephanie Christodoulidou

Photography by Helen Murray

Previously reviewed at this venue:

GHOSTS

GHOSTS

GHOSTS