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Catherine Bennett highlights the trends in the performing arts world today.
Jonathan Cridford reviews 'Ghosts', one of the Freshers' plays for this year.
Last night, the York Grand Opera House played host to Harvest, the latest dramatic piece from the celebrated and prolific playwright, Richard Bean.
Bean has been commissioned by the National Theatre, the Royal Court and the Bush Theatre, a rare accolade for most playwrights today and an indication of the standard of his writing. Wilson Milam’s production of Harvest testifies just how good Bean really is.
Harvest focuses on the quandary of British pig farming, charting the ups and downs of rural England, as embodied by the Harrison family. The Harrisons are engaged in a constant battle with the British government, trying to fend off the challenges the government hurl at their farm. You might think that this hardly seems like an enthralling topic for political debate. However, the play’s sweeping chronology makes for an extraordinarily insightful, engaging and, most importantly, original social comment.
As it moves from the First World War, when the Harrisons’ horses are requisitioned to aid the war effort, to the Second World War, when their lands are threatened with confiscation, and then right up until the present day when the Harrisons are at the mercy of supermarkets, the play traces just how rural England is vulnerable and subject to change, a concern that seems to go unnoticed today, on the stage at least.
This extraordinary plotline approached nearly three hours, running the risk of stretching out and extenuating the story, losing any intensity and energy it may have had. Indeed, the play was slow to get off the ground, but for the rest of the work Bean clearly brought his experience as a stand-up comic to the fore; Harvest was infused with humour and wit that kept the audience engaged in the play and maintained its momentum. Comic moments appeared in the hilarious interview with Titch (Adrian Hood), a potential pigman for the farm, some great lines such as the German Stefan’s confused use of the simile ‘like a bat in a dairy’ and the depiction of the eccentric Lord Primrose Agar.
Nonetheless, there was also a fine balance between these comic elements and the more grave aspects of the play. This was exemplified beautifully with the shooting of Albert Harrison, which was unexpected and all the more shocking because it was preceded by the comic hysteria of the woman officer.
Having said this, I do feel that at times the play could have been more understated; the farce did slide into inappropriateness, such as the attempted rape of the elderly Laura by burglars towards the end of the play. Moreover, this final scene was incongruent. With the introduction of two new characters in the burglars, the conclusion of the play was hasty and neither a neat nor satisfactory ending to what had been hitherto a tour de force of wit, humour and emotion.
The play was very well acted. The cast portrayed the play’s twists and turns and both the comic and tragic moments with great conviction. They were called upon to age and this was done well, showing off the actors’ range, particularly that of Katie Wimpenny in the commanding and moving moments of her role as the more mature Laura. Gunnar Cauthery’s performance as Stefan was very skilled and assured as he moved from a thick German accent to subtly inflecting his speech with Northern accent and expressions.
However, it was Ian Dunn’s portrayal of William, arguably the most appealing character of the play, that stole the show, Dunn giving his one-liners and banter with great skill and delivery. Indeed, the cast were helped by an impressive use of set, which cleverly adapted to the different time periods, as well as by good use of light and sound effects.
All in all, I couldn’t help but warm to Bean’s rather original way of using Britain’s farming families to present a political message, nor could I be unimpressed with the ambition of the play to move from time period to time period and to do so, on the whole, so fluidly, nor could I stop Bean’s endearing characters from getting under my skin. Harvest is definitely worth a watch.
Harvest is at the Grand Opera House from Tuesday 10th - Saturday 14th February. Tickets are available from the Box Office on 0844 847 2322 or online.
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