★★★★★

“intoxicating theatre at its best that calls for repeat viewing”

The red cross, in most peoples’ mind, represents a symbol that is potently English. On entering the auditorium @sohoplace for the first in Clint Dyer’s and Roy Williams’ trilogy of plays – “Death of England: Michael” – the playing space consists of a raised red cross. We are perhaps being told that we are in for an unmistakably ‘state-of-the-nation’ tirade but the insignia cuts much deeper and adopts a much more layered connotation. The red cross is also a symbol of protection or of neutrality. An international, borderless, organisation that takes care of people who are suffering. It protects those that wear the red cross. They are not part of the conflict.

The characters in “Death of England”, though, have little protection from their own inner conflicts. In the first of the one act plays we meet Michael (Thomas Coombes); a wide-boy, white-boy, working-class, cockney whose fury can no longer be contained. It is a fury that he blames others for, yet he knows it is more about himself. Coombes brilliantly gives violent vent to this self-contradiction in a performance that is mesmerising, brutal, shocking, tender, vulnerable, aggressive, honest and humorous all within the same heartbeat. His best friend is British-born, Caribbean Delroy. His late father was an unashamed racist whose approval he could never quite meet and whose politics he couldn’t escape. He takes us on a journey through their backstory, through twists and turns as white-knuckle and manic as Coombes’ delivery. It culminates in Michael, crazed through drink and drugs, launching into a scathing attack on the attendees at his father’s funeral.

Although a one-man show, Coombes makes us feel he is surrounded by a full ensemble such is the skill with which he brings the outside characters to life. The anecdotes race past at breakneck speed but at no point does nuance or precision become roadkill. The attention to detail is spot on to the point we see uncomfortable shards of ourselves reflected in Michael’s shattered personality. The unavoidable questions Michael asks of himself are just as much directed to the audience, an all-encompassing ring of jurors and judges that he cannot escape. Just as we cannot escape the pull of Coombes’ magnetic charisma.

Wide topics (Brexit, Windrush, Black Lives Matter) are brought under the microscope while moments of intimacy are thrust into the global arena. The affect is unsettling. On occasion you feel that that the writers’ sympathies lie with the racists, but within a stroke they become the guilty party. One moment it is harrowing, the next laugh out loud funny. The fact that the co-writers, Dyer and Williams, are both black British artists might remove some of the limits of what can be said, but on stage it is as irrelevant as it is poignant. The drama transcends Britishness. The themes are neither black nor white. There is too much heart and soul, and the posthumous discoveries that Michael makes of his father’s ambiguities and secrets are heart-wrenching and heart-warming.

We never get full reconciliation. But the society this play depicts never will either. We think we may have seen all sides of the debate until we realise this is only the first part of a trilogy. Not only are we left wanting more, but we also have the added satisfaction of being promised more. “Death of England: Michael” is intoxicating theatre at its best that calls for repeat viewing. But let’s get through the next instalment first.

THE TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE at the Apollo Theatre

★★★

“the show is a feast for the eyes with plenty of jaw-dropping, ‘how-do-they-do-that’ moments”

As a species, the ability to conquer the fourth dimension has always fascinated us. Which is why it is so prevalent in literature and popular culture. Particularly as this year comes to an end with the highly anticipated 60th anniversary of Dr Who on the horizon. It is argued that Sophocles wrote the first time travel story over 2,500 years ago. The popularity of the concept has almost convinced us that time travel could, in fact, be possible. Most fantasies revolve around our ability to control our passage through time – from the past or to the future and back again. Audrey Niffenegger’s novel, “The Time Traveller’s Wife”, turned that around to tell the story of a man who has no control. It is not a gift but a curse, and questions of free will, fatalism or predeterminism give the novel a philosophical sheen. The success of the story, however, stemmed from the fact that it was perceived as a love story.

It is this aspect that informs the new musical, which premiered at Storyhouse, Chester last year before its West End run. Lauren Gunderson’s book, with Dave Stewart and Joss Stone’s music and lyrics, is a sugar-coated treat. More saccharin than the real deal raw stuff, there is a synthetic quality to the way it pulls at our heart strings. But once we get used to it, we allow ourselves to be drawn into the narrative. What undoubtedly helps is Bill Buckhurst’s magnificent staging. A collaborative effort, drawing on the skills of illusionist Chris Fisher, the show is a feast for the eyes with plenty of jaw-dropping, ‘how-do-they-do-that’ moments.

“Despite the captivating themes, the episodic nature of the piece leaves them dangling”

At the heart of the story are Henry and Clare – the time traveller and his wife (David Hunter and Joanna Woodward). Henry is a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably while his wife, Clare, is left behind to cope with his frequent absences. It is fitting that Woodward opens the show, introducing herself directly to the audience. After all; it’s in the title. Refreshingly told from the wife’s perspective, Woodward empowers her character in a finely balanced performance, practically stealing the show with the highlight musical number, ‘I’m In Control’. It is a rare moment when the emotional temperature lifts a few degrees. Elsewhere, however, the score laps around us in lukewarm waves of predictability.

The narrative is surprisingly easy to follow, given the complex nature of the storyline. Especially when put on paper. Henry and Clare first meet in the library where Henry works part time. Clare has already met Henry several times throughout her life when Henry was older and travelling back in time to visit her. But because Henry is younger than that now, he hasn’t yet built the memories of this, so he has no idea who Clare is. See what I mean? Henry has unwritten ‘rules’ of time travel that he can’t break. But of course, he does – particularly when it is in order to save his marriage. Woodward and Hunter both give polished performances that clearly pinpoint where, and when, we are in their romance. Fantastic support comes from Tim Mahendran and Hiba Elchikhe, as Gomez and Charisse, their best friends and conventional couple who mirror the ups and downs of matrimony without the added complications. Special mention must be made of Holly-Jade Roberts, who plays the young Clare with a fascinating, quirky and natural assuredness beyond her years.

Despite the captivating themes, the episodic nature of the piece leaves them dangling. Yet we also appreciate that this may be an essential part of it, as normal life is continually being torn apart by these uncontrolled fissures in time. And the numerous scene transitions are almost another character in itself. But the questions never dig too deep, hindered as they are by lyrical platitudes such as ‘time is nothing’. Perhaps there is too much to explore and, despite running at just over two and a half hours, there isn’t the time. We leave with a sense of being slightly underwhelmed, but thoroughly entertained, nonetheless. The question remains; will it stand the test of time? Well, there’s only one answer. Only time will tell.

Tag Archives: Pete Malkin

DEATH OF ENGLAND: MICHAEL

★★★★★

@SohoPlace

DEATH OF ENGLAND: MICHAEL at @SohoPlace

★★★★★

“intoxicating theatre at its best that calls for repeat viewing”

DEATH OF ENGLAND: MICHAEL at @SohoPlace

Reviewed on 30th July 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Helen Murray

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE LITTLE BIG THINGS | ★★★★ | September 2023

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN | ★★★★★ | May 2023

DEATH OF ENGLAND: MICHAEL

DEATH OF ENGLAND: MICHAEL

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

The Time Traveller’s Wife

★★★

Apollo Theatre

THE TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE at the Apollo Theatre

★★★

“the show is a feast for the eyes with plenty of jaw-dropping, ‘how-do-they-do-that’ moments”

“Despite the captivating themes, the episodic nature of the piece leaves them dangling”