Patrick Walshe McBride, Eva Pope, Vincent Franklin, Grace Hogg-Robinson, front Megan Mcdonnell in The Snail House at the Hampstead Theatre © Manuel HarlanIt is not difficult to surmise that Richard Eyre in writing and directing The Snail House (playing at Hampstead Theatre until 15th Oct) has done so with a tick box of issues to incorporate into his yarn which he has set within the recessed walls of his son’s oak-panelled alma mater. There are nods to the challenges faced by the children and spouses of successful individuals in the public eye. There is a plethora of intergenerational miscommunication and hints of marital infidelity. The north-south divide, wealth and poverty issues, class barriers, and the political disparities in tackling the looming eco-disaster all take their turn in the spotlight. He even manages to neatly incorporate the awkwardness inherent in fully accepting a confidently articulate, openly homosexual son. Racial bias looms seductively at the edges throughout, (hammering a killer blow towards the denouement), whilst much of the evening focuses on the jarringly unhappy misreadings and disappointments which are felt acutely by father and daughter. As tick boxes go, Eyre has set himself quite the challenge, but experience and a deft touch has seemingly enabled him to weave the many threads together remarkably well.
The superb cast deliver their characters fully rounded and believable from the outset and as the actors get into their stride during the run, the nuances of each, will undoubtedly become honed still further.
The cast:
Sir Neil — Vincent Franklin
Sarah (his daughter) — Grace Hogg-Robinson
Val (his wife) — Eva Pope
Hugo (his son) — Patrick Walsh McBride
Florence — Amanda Bright
Wynona — Megan McDonnell
Habeeb— Raphel Famotibe
“I know, Dad, that you’re always right about everything and at least you’d agree with that and you’ve always been right that I’ve always been wrong…” (Sarah, practising her speech for the assembled guests).
Dipo Baruwa-Etti’s THE CLINIC has opened this week at the Almeida under the direction of Monique Touko. The title appears to be a reference to the open-plan kitchen environment of the wealthy black family’s home, in which social inequality discussions and familial bones of contention, provide rich pickings for hostility and combative misunderstandings within a family composed of both vehemently Right and Left leaning advocates, on the political spectrum.