Our Town review: Tribute to the power of community is poignant but short on energy

1/4
Henry Hitchings23 May 2019

Thornton Wilder’s 1938 play was shaped by his experience observing the rise of fascism in Europe. It’s a tribute to the power of community, introducing us to Grover’s Corners, a small town in New Hampshire that seems idyllic yet is clouded by sadness.

The key figure is the Stage Manager, a commentator on the routines of every day existence who’s prone to doling out homespun wisdom. Laura Rogers brings an air of measured mischief to the role: as she highlights the need to appreciate the fleeting nature of all that’s most precious, she’s wry rather than earnest.

Francesca Henry and Arthur Hughes are touching as Emily and George, the lovers caught up in the story’s darker moments — Henry is particularly good at suggesting Emily’s precocious intelligence — and there’s jaunty support from Tom Edden as the editor of the local paper.

Though ultimately poignant, Ellen McDougall’s revival is short on energy. It’s faithful to Wilder’s stipulation that his work should be performed ‘simply, dryly and sincerely’. Yet in striving for an understated style, it slips into a rather sluggish vagueness.

Until June 8 (0333 400 3562, openairtheatre.com)

Latest theatre reviews

1/50

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in