The Stage

Cider With Rosie

Published Wednesday 24 March 2010 at 17:05 by Hugh Homan

Most of us know Laurie Lee’s magical account of growing up in Slad, Gloucestershire from 1917 to 1934, when the world first started moving faster than the 8 mph which it had done since the time of the Romans and you could rent a cottage for 3/6d a week.

Using that material and a number of Lee’s later poems, Daniel O’Brien has fashioned a lovely sound and mood piece in two acts to capture a world now gone forever.

Designer Dora Schweitzer provides an atmospheric circular set of ladders, chairs and benches, above which are suspended empty picture-frames, an old washer, flowers, twigs and a watering can amongst much else.

Mark Howland’s lighting makes inventive use of the space to transport us through the seasons and TJ Holmes’ original and adapted music is an integral part of an impressive ensemble piece.

Devon Black, Antony Eden, TJ Holmes, Amy Humphreys, Joannah Tincey and Liam Tobin create between them the whole of Lee’s village world and Antony Eden plays Laurie with a beguiling simplicity. Each of the others plays one of the brothers and sisters but they all become village characters as the play proceeds.

I was beginning to think that director Abigail Anderson had allowed her players to become a bit artsy-fartsy at times but moments like the charabanc ride to Weston-super-Mare and the final moments when Laurie takes the first bite of that metaphorical apple proffered by Rosie more than compensated for any impish thoughts lurking at the back of my critical mind. Quaff some cider if you can.