All My Sons

Reviews

I had been looking forward to this play because I always enjoy a visit to Blackmore and the publicity for this show was very good, with introductions to the cast posted to social media regularly that were professional and enticing. As I walked into the hall for the opening night I was immediately impressed by the set. It was a beautiful representation of the back yard of a typical American house, with a porch complete with swinging-chair It could have been dropped in from a film set as it was so well done, with many details, including potted plants and a fallen apple tree that was part of the plot. As the play began the sound and lighting were very effective, a banging screen door, a mighty wind followed by a quiet and clear morning; an aeroplane flew over and the sound of birdsong gave a feel of an idyllic lifestyle.

The first character we met was Bert, played by Jacob Burrow; a young boy who seems to be in awe of the house owner Joe Keller played by Bill Edwards. Jacob played Bert with a natural innocence, he was very respectful to his elders and wanted to do the right thing, a great contrast to the layers that the characters unravel as the play progresses.

Bill Edwards plays Joe with a wonderful well-rounded character. He had a stately demeanour despite his working-class background, and a relaxed stage presence that indicated he has earned his place in the town's hierarchy. Bill did a fabulous job of showing the progression in Joe's character from calmly reading the wanted ads in the paper to frantically trying to make sense of the revelations that take place in the final act.

I would assume from the excellent characterisation throughout this play that the cast had done a lot of work on their characters and their relationships as all did a tremendous job, not only interacting with each other during the dialogue but also with the little looks and reactions between them when they were not directly involved in the speech. All held their American accents well and made the suspension of disbelief easy to achieve for the audience.

Craig Stevens played Jim Bayliss, a neighbour of the Keller Family, and the owner of the house next door, previously owned by the Deever family, the father of whom (Steve) was a former colleague of Joe Keller but who is now in prison. These facts become more and more important as the plot develops and we learn about the events that led up to this August day, and the intricacies of the character relationships too. Jim Bayliss is a doctor and his wife is Sue Bayliss played by Lucie Burrow. The couple have an amusing relationship with Sue trying hard to make sure that Jim keeps up with his work, fielding his calls and encouraging him to make money. The couple display a comfortable relationship and they give the audience a comparative relationship to that of Joe and his wife Kate. Lucie confidently comes back and forth into the Keller's yard, comments on events, and gives her opinion about how Chris and Ann might want to conduct their lives, as long as Chris is not there to ‘influence' her husband into doing something altruistic. She is also instrumental in revealing Joes involvement in the scandal that led to Steve's imprisonment.

Joe's wife is Kate Keller played by Paula Harris-Brett. Paula is yet another amazing actress. She is still mourning the loss of her son Larry who is missing. We discover as the play progresses that he was a pilot. Kate is convinced that Larry will return. Paula does a fabulous job of letting us see the multi-faceted character of Kate. From sensible organised mother to crazed and emotional bereaved parent and back to the mediator and protector of her husband and son, Chris. Paula's performance was memorable and emotive.

Frank and Lydia Lubey are played by Rhys Burrell and Lily-Rose Brown. Frank is a 'serious' neighbour who did not have to go to war like the Keller boys and George, but instead married George's sweetheart Lydia who now has three children. Frank affects the mental wellbeing of Kate Keller by looking at Larry's horoscope and telling Kate that Larry couldn't have died on the day he went missing because it was his favourable day. The couple seem not to know much about the world but are content with the day-to-day occurrences in the town. Lydia helping Kate with her hair and fiddling with the toaster. Both Rhys and Lily-Rose do a good job of portraying this simple couple.

Tom Hughes plays Chris Keller with intelligence and skill. He was totally believable as he portrayed a character faced with the complicated task of balancing his own needs with that of his parents. Chris is an idealistic person who was the 'mother' to his squadron during the war, he has experienced awful loses, and is now ready to marry Annie, who was previously the girlfriend of his missing brother Larry.

Ann Deever is played by Jenny Pavitt. Jenny plays a sweet girl who truly loves Chris and wants the best for everyone. It's a difficult situation as she has matured into a beautiful woman who is mistrusted by Chris's parents. Joe thinks she's there to spy on behalf of her father, Steve, who is prison after a scandal involving the aircraft parts made by Joe's manufacturing company and Kate thinks if Annie waits for Larry then it will keep him alive so she is opposed to the match.

The last character to be introduced is George Deever, played by Nicolas Rayment. George is Ann's older brother, a war veteran, and successful New York Lawyer. George is opposed to the marriage of Ann and Chris and set to expose Joe, because he has visited his father in prison and has learned the truth, putting Joe in the frame for the scandal that led to the deaths of airmen in the war.

The development of the plot and the interaction between characters that brings this play to a resolution is quite complex but performed with artistry and expertise by an extremely talented cast under the direction of Lisa Rawlings. This is Lisa's debut as a director but you certainly would not have been able to tell that.

There are some plays where the passion of the director is obvious and this was one of them. The marriage of all the components, excellent technical details, accurate costume, talented and committed cast and a brilliant script culminated in a compelling and absorbing performance.

Well done to all.

Zahna Hull, NODA