Writer: Tim Foley
Directors: Neil Bettles and Elle While
Tim Foley’s playDriftwoodtells the story of two brothers as they process the loss of their father. Mark returns to the North East after running away from struggles as a young man, whilst Tiny has remained as full time carer for his dad and his hometown. Foley’s script is deeply moving and very timely, with comments on political challenges of recent years. It is also witty, with plenty of much needed laughs stopping the show from becoming too heavy.
Directors Neil Bettles and Elle While are a fantastic team, keeping the show moving at a great pace. It is staged well, keeping the audience gripped despite being in mainly just one location. They build tension and emotion brilliantly well, whilst also ensuring every moment of humour lands perfectly. The set design from Lulu Tam, alongside Bettles and Tom Robbins, is simple but used incredibly well depicting the few different locations we visit. This is enhanced by Sarah Readman’s video design, providing very realistic backdrops to the action. Charly Dunford’s lighting design builds tension incredibly well, especially in the final moments of the play, and Lee Affen’s sound design grounds the show is reality.
James Westphal takes on the role of Mark, alongside Jerome Yates as Tiny. Both give truly excellent performances. They bounce off each other very well. Both do a fantastic job at moving from landing comedic punchlines with perfect timing to tearing the audience’s heart in two with emotional performances. Both create characters who are entirely human, meaning the audience can completely relate to them. Westphal brings to life the business driven Mark, who attempts to stay emotionally detached, really well, whilst Yates has a lovely innocence and naivety as the young man who’s never fully grown up.
Driftwoodis a wonderful production of a fantastic play. Moving and funny, this is a production not to be missed.
The Reviews Hub Score
Powerful production
