★★★★★

“warm, sincere, contemporary and very funny”

Jerome K Jerome wrote ‘Three Men In A Boat’ in the late 19th century as a humorous travelogue, providing a social comment on Victorian society and leisure, which went on to become one of the most enduring comic novels in English literature. It has indeed never been out of print and has inspired numerous adaptations for stage, radio and television. The book follows three friends (and a dog) as they embark upon a boating holiday up the River Thames from Kingston upon Thames to Oxford.

This production is a long awaited collaboration of two award winning Berkshire theatres, Reading Rep and The Watermill producing a world premiere of Camille Ucan’s debut play ‘Three Hens In A Boat’ lovingly inspired by Jerome’s classic but with a contemporary twist, focusing on three women – a grandmother, mother and daughter – embarking on a hens do with a difference.

From the moment we enter the auditorium the combination of the muted lighting by Jonathan Chan, the charming riverbank setting designed by Jasmine Swan and the subtle yet effective soundscape by Ella Wahlström, creates a sedative effect on the senses transporting us to a timeless part of the Thames. However the modern city looming in the distance, beyond the tranquil meadows, places us firmly in the 21st century. There is even a decent sized skiff on stage which is of course, so central to the voyage.

I absolutely loved this production, transforming it to an all female intergenerational piece is inspired. The audience witness the physical and emotional meanderings of the women as they not only navigate the Thames but the complex mother / daughter relationships of the three generations, whilst understanding the unconditional love that binds them all together. Not only is Camille’s writing warm, sincere, contemporary and very funny, she also plays the role of the ‘woke’ granddaughter. All three of the women’s performances (Verona Rose as the mother and a scene-stealing Ellen O’Grady as the grandmother) were truly sensational. A nod to the composer Lauryn Redding here, who deftly balances the music to suit the mood and different age groups perfectly.

Abigail Pickard Price’s confident direction and inspired use of the small set, together with a stellar cast and production team has created a real gem of a show – a joyful, hilarious yet poignant journey for everyone

AN INTERROGATION

Hampstead Theatre

★★★★

“The three-strong cast is uniformly compelling”

Debuting his play in Edinburgh in 2023, writer director Jamie Armitage had to deliver this police interrogation drama in a tight 59 minutes. At the Hampstead Theatre, he uses the extra 10 minutes to great effect, packing his bonus time with an odd twitch, an extended silence or an implacable blank expression denoting nothing – not guilt or innocence.

It is these small touches – like a dab of white that brings alive a painted eye – that add so much to this exquisitely polished gem.

The set-up is familiar from a thousand cop shows: a nervous female detective is convinced of the guilt of an amiable and upstanding citizen, and she has to break down his faultless veneer against the clock. This kindly gent has given up his Sunday to amble his way towards a discussion about the unseemly business of two women, one killed a while ago and another missing.

He must answer for some strange coincidences in his tale but he’s happy to do so. Why not? He’s an establishment CEO, head of a brain injury charity, pillar of the community, knows people in Government. He has alibis up to here.

No, there’s absolutely nothing remotely guilty about middle aged, middle class Cameron Andrews. But fidgety DC Ruth Palmer has a hunch.

How will she set about the task? To what extent will she succumb to or exploit these inherent power dynamics?

And so we begin, the clock counting down in the hunt for the missing woman. Not so much cat-and-mouse as cat-and-another-cat, this one licking its self-satisfied whiskers, too clever by half and not likely to be undone by a brittle young woman.

The set is simple yet evocative. Plastic chairs, plain table. Water cooler. Yellow office lighting draining colour from already pallid skin. You can practically smell the stale sweat and cold coffee.

It’s a pin drop experience as we lean in to pick up on every inflection, and squint to analyse every tell and posture. The live-stream screen on the back wall is both a help and hindrance in this regard. Yes, it draws attention to the telling gestures for the people at the back, but the sudden close-ups also signal when A Big Moment is looming, which is clumsy in such a subtle piece.

The three-strong cast is uniformly compelling. Colm Gormley as John Culin, the mentor detective, plays his cards close to his chest. Does he have Palmer’s back, or is he playing another game entirely?

Rosie Sheehy and Jamie Ballard as Palmer and Andrews are flawless. Their softly-spoken interchanges are so light, yet so freighted. There’s not much action but they seem to morph throughout as if the mind games were physical. They reel, deflate, rise, go again. But only ever minutely.

In set-up and purpose, An Interrogation draws on influences from Silence of the Lambs to Line of Duty. So it’s tempting to play interrogation cliche bingo – her slip, his slip, the accusation, the big gamble etc.

But this absorbing play is too disciplined to oversell those moments. It is all quietly brilliant.

Good job this tense little duel lasted only about an hour. I finally got to exhale.

THREE HENS IN A BOAT

Watermill Theatre

★★★★★

“warm, sincere, contemporary and very funny”

THREE HENS IN A BOAT

Watermill Theatre

Reviewed on 27th May 2025

by Sarah Milton

Photography by Pamela Raith

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

THREE HENS IN A BOAT

THREE HENS IN A BOAT

THREE HENS IN A BOAT

AN INTERROGATION

Hampstead Theatre

★★★★

“The three-strong cast is uniformly compelling”