Our theatre reviewer, Sam Sims, shares his thoughts on To Have and To Hold at Hull Truck Theatre.
After the immensely popular 71 Coltman Street, Richard Bean returns to Hull Truck Theatre with his latest play, To Have and To Hold, a comedy drama exploring the intricacies of family dynamics and the challenges in caring for ageing parents.
Six decades into their marriage, Jack (Ian Bartholomew) and Florence (Paula Wilcox) are just at home bickering and settling into their recliners with some Jim Reeves on the go, as they are telling their grown-up kids, Rob (Stephen Tomkinson) and Tina (Rebecca Johnson), to get real jobs. Sure, they have help from Cousin Pamela (Sara Beharrell) and Rhubarb Eddie (Adrian Hood), but what else has life got to offer? When Rob and Tina visit their parents to help get their affairs in order, secrets, lies and possible deception are uncovered. Can’t they just be left alone to live out their twilight years in blooming peace?
As soon as you sit down in your seat and look out at Dawn Allsopp’s amazing set, you’re going to be transported back in time to your elderly parents’/ grandparents’ living room – floral wallpaper, red carpet, a hatch that connects to the kitchen and even a stairlift! This room is a character in itself and it’s clear that Allsopp completely shares the vision Bean had when writing the play. There’s a running joke that Florence always, always locks the front door, even when there’s generally no reason to and I personally always enjoy and look forward to these moments, because you can see exactly how they’re going to play out. The door is probably one of my favourite characters actually – give that door an Olivier!
You know you’re watching something of high quality when you experience a Richard Bean play. The writing is superb – it’s keenly observed, witty, funny and extremely relatable. The characters are substantial, fully realised and you feel for all of them, even if those feelings aren’t always, shall we say, ‘flowery’ (I’m looking at you Pamela). Are there some dodgy jokes that perhaps shouldn’t have been included? Sure! Maybe avoid jokes about buggery in Waitrose next time?
Wilcox probably has some of the best lines and scenes in the play, complaining about paying money to the Germans (that would be Lidl), blurting out “chuff” (that gets a lot of lols) and taking about three years to get to the front door because she’s going up and down in the stairlift. Her chemistry with Bartholomew is impeccable – they’re totally believable as a couple who’ve been married for a long, long, long time and their exchanges are hilarious. Bartholomew is also excellent and especially in the scenes recounting his days in Hull in the police force, which offer some of the most emotional moments in To Have and To Hold. I left really wanting a cornish pasty. I used to love Ballykissangel so watching Stephen Tomkinson work his magic is a personal treat. He is a delight as sarcastic son, Rob who is both exhausted and amused by his parents who insist he never should have left Wetwang, despite now being a very successful author. Johnson fits into the mix very well as Rob’s sister, Tina, as does Hood as Eddie, a character you initially think you know very well – bad jokes, has immersed himself a little too comfortably with some vulnerable people. He’s a stereotype, sure, but he’s also cloaked in layers. Beharrell is uncomfortable to watch – and that’s exactly the sort of reaction you should have. Pamela is a nightmare of a person – trying to make her cousins feel guilty for leaving their parents and daring to have aspirations beyond Wetwang, selfish and void of a sense of humour. I love it and I love Beharrell’s performance.
This is, in my opinion, one of Hull Truck Theatre’s biggest successes and I strongly urge you to book a ticket asap, as they are selling out fast. To Have and To Hold is a blast but it is also a deeply emotional play that will, if they’re still around, leave you thinking about your own parents and maybe even your own mortality.
To Have and To Hold runs at Hull Truck Theatre until Saturday 24th May.
[Sam Sims – Theatre reviewer]