★★★★

“plays on our fears at several levels”

This is a startling (nay, shocking) short play and it is startlingly good. What writer/actor Benny Ainsworth and director Michael Parker manage to achieve in a mere 55 minutes is extraordinary.

There is no getting away from it, however, so best to get it out front. This play is firmly in the horror genre. So if graphic descriptions of killing disturb you, you should probably stay away.

It is difficult to describe without giving a lot away – the theatre blurb is well crafted and as much as you need to start with. This play is partly metaphor. Vermin scratch in the floorboards and walls of the home that Billy (Ainsworth) and Rachel (Sally Paffett) have lovingly built; but psychological vermin are at play in their relationship. And then the metaphor turns horrifyingly real.

Billy and Rachel tell their story in a rapid two-hander, bouncing off and interrupting each other, cosying up, then letting rip. Soliloquies are interleaved. They play out early love scenes and flashbacks of darkness, then take the road to trust crumbling and a shocking end.

Paffett won a well-deserved award for her performance when the play was presented at the Arcola in 2024. She is a class act: bubbly and naive one moment; heartbreaking the next; and calculating and sinister in undertones, as she sets the house and the relationship on the road to ruin. Ainsworth is equally good as a loving man, proud of his practical skills, who reveals a frightening obsession with killing that, despite his best efforts, he can’t shake off.

As Director and Technical Director, Parker has a confident hand, keeping the surrounding environment spartan in order to better highlight the performances. The set consists of two chairs on a dark empty stage. Very subtle changes of lighting (Alex Lewer) punctuate the scene and highlight turning moments and traps.

I’m no expert on the horror genre, but I believe the point – in films, TV and on stage – is to bring nightmares into consciousness and in so doing allow larger fears to be shared and released. Vermin plays on our fears at several levels – it could also spark a wider conversation about society and what happens when we fail to deal with trauma. Whether I will sleep tonight is another matter.

THE GATHERED LEAVES

Park Theatre

★★★★

“a finely flowing production that is consistently identifiable”

The centre piece of Andrew Keatley’s “The Gathered Leaves” is a beautiful birthday cake, lovingly created by the autistic Samuel for his father’s seventy-fifth birthday. A replica of the country manor in which the family have reunited for the celebration (the first time they have all been together for seventeen years), the detailed intricacy of the sugar-coated façade hides all manner of ingredients. Cut open the surface and the flavours are bitter and sweet, and we never know which mouthful we are going to swallow next. The Pennington family is a similar blend of mismatched elements that make up a dysfunctional whole. It’s a tried and tested dramatic formula but Adrian Noble’s revival is a compelling slice of theatre.

It is 1997 and change is afoot in Britain. The extended family appear to be sheltered in their comfortable privilege, but they are not immune to upheaval. The autocratic patriarch (Jonathan Hyde) is desperately trying to cling onto his authority and tradition while battling with a diagnosis of vascular dementia. Times have changed and the nine assembled members of the family are representations of these changes across three generations. Of course, sparks are going to fly, and drama is guaranteed. Keatley’s writing also injects warmth, humour and a precarious harmony that astonishingly never clashes with the suspense. Skeletons fall out of the closet, rattling with regrets, while resentments surface that are cleverly sculpted into some sort of shape of understanding, if not quite reconciliation.

The cast, across the board, brilliantly bring their characters to life. Hyde expertly combines rigidity with vulnerability, constantly surprising us with revelations that show a very human side to an outwardly unsympathetic individual. Joanne Pearce nails the ‘long-suffering wife’ syndrome while refusing to be sidelined or relegated in dominance. The younger generations are equally convincing. Richard Stirling has the almost impossible task of portraying the autistic son Samuel, but he grasps the complexities with acute judgement. Innocent yet volatile, with authentic mannerisms to match, his childish persona puts the other adults to shame by being the only really truthful member of the family. Except for maybe his brother Giles (a superb Chris Larkin) who tries to hold everything together; on the constant lookout for Samuel while trying to appease not just his father, but a dissatisfied wife (Zoë Waites) and his defiant children. George Lorimer and Ella Dale, as Simon and Emily, depict the younger generation with socially conscious humour, throwing in delicious dollops of subterfuge and modern sensibilities into the mix.

Many issues are dwelt upon (perhaps too many). The arrival of estranged daughter Alice (played with cool conviction by Olivia Vinall) reveals the extent of the chasm that exists within this family. She is accompanied by her dual heritage teenage daughter, Aurelia. Taneetrah Porter gives a standout performance as the young Aurelia. Bemused yet diplomatic she is the true peacekeeper, refusing to reject the failings of the family that she is witnessing for the first time.

A few scenes are unnecessary, particularly a couple of drawn-out duologues that act merely as a kind of postmortem to what has just happened. Otherwise, this is a finely flowing production that is consistently identifiable. The topics (particularly autism, racism, conservatism, liberalism… there are many ‘isms’ in this play) never become issues. Rather they are part of the fabric. Each act opens with a flashback to the young Giles and Samuel (Ellis Elijah and Joe Burrell respectively) which gives some background, backstory and build up.

“The Gathered Leaves” is ultimately moving, as well as being thoroughly entertaining. Shades of Ayckbourn mingle with hints of Pinter at times, but Keatley’s drama remains resolutely unique. There is a fair bit to laugh about, but it still remains serious while also gently pulling our heartstrings. A finely balanced evening.

VERMIN

Park Theatre

★★★★

“plays on our fears at several levels”

VERMIN

Park Theatre

Reviewed on 12th September 2025

by Louise Sibley

Photography by Michael Parker

Previously reviewed at this venue:

VERMIN

VERMIN

VERMIN

THE GATHERED LEAVES

Park Theatre

★★★★

“a finely flowing production that is consistently identifiable”