Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily James star in Penelope Skinner’s searingly funny and passionate new play, directed by Ian Rickson.
Elaine (Kristin Scott Thomas) a reclusive and talented actress, disappears in mysterious circumstances. 30 years later, she finally feels ready to tell her story – summoning Kate, a young film executive (Lily James), to her remote Cornish home to assist with her glorious comeback.
But who really controls the stories we tell, and how we get to tell them? Will these women own their narrative, or will it be swept away from them at any given moment?
A story for our times, playing for a strictly limited season from 17 Oct – 23 Dec at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
__Assisted Performances__
Captioned - 18th November 2.30pm
Audio-Described - 30th November, 7.30pm
BSL Interpreted - TBC
Skinner won acclaim for her 2011 Royal Court Play The Village Bike, but while that play cleverly overturned stereotypes about expectant mothers, here the writing feels amateurish and chaotic. We feel bombarded by issues, none of which are properly explored: #MeToo, coercive control, womens’ struggles with work/life balance, comedy, drama, trauma. It’s perfectly possible to combine all these themes, just not here.
Mostly this seems like an assemblage of half-baked ideas and lazy conceits. Why Lyonesse? Why does Act One end in slapstick? Why does the supposedly raging sea only hit the side of the house twice? Why, above all, did Scott Thomas, James and Rickson sign up to this? As star vehicles go, it’s a car crash.
2023 | West End |
West End |
Videos