A review of Hansard at the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City.
In some people’s minds, even those who like theatre, amateur theatre is, and always will be ‘am dram’. Anyone with this point of view should take a trip to the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City, to see their production of Hansard, which bears comparison with the best of professional theatre.
On entering the auditorium there is the sound of patriotic music and in a 1980s upper middle class kitchen Emily Fairman, who plays Diana, is preparing a cup of tea and settling down to await the return of her husband, Conservative MP Robin, played by Paul Brown, from the Houses of Parliament.
The appearance of the set is wonderful with enough clutter and mess to suggest a long occupation by the couple whilst still tidy enough that they know exactly where everything is kept.
But this is just a glimpse of the enjoyment that awaits when the play starts and these two highly talented actors dance their way through Simon Woods’ sparkling dialogue first heard at the National Theatre.
Robin has been in London voting on the notorious Section 28, a law brought in by the Conservative government in 1988 to prohibit the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ by local authorities, and Diana, who is politically to the left of her husband, is keen to let him know her views on the subject.
The 90 minutes of action flies by as they argue, tease and fight, exposing old wounds and revealing untold truths.
The skill of both the actors and the author is that it is possible to see how in the first flush of romance these sparky exchanges were full of love and passion but, as life intervened and the feeling went out of their marriage, the arguments became more personal and the teasing more pointed.
The direction, by Hannah Sayer, is superb in that it is almost imperceptible, the movement of the two characters around the stage fluid and natural, a married couple moving naturally around the space they inhabit, making breakfast, changing clothes and mixing cocktails.
In collaboration with the actors, Hannah has paced the dialogue precisely, finding the times to slow down and make space, before heading back into the conflict again.
Although both these two characters initially seem difficult to warm to, as the audience laughs and cries along with them, they learn their secrets and understand the pain behind their flaws.
If you enjoy an entertaining, thought provoking and engaging night out get a ticket, and if you’re hesitant because it’s only ‘am dram’, take a chance and be prepared have your opinions changed.
The production is running at the Barn every evening until Saturday, February 17 when there is also a matinee performance.
Visit www.barntheatre.co.uk for tickets or call the box office on 01707 324300.
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