The October Revolutions is relationship drama by writer Brian Mitchell from a cast of two (1F, 1M) in three acts: 30 mins, 25 mins, 15 minute interval, 30 mins.

The plot is easy to summarise, and eternal - older person loves younger person and it doesn't work out. The action snapshots three episodes from a two-year period: Kath (Laura Corbett) from age 19 to 21; Philip (Lloyd Thomas) from 29 to 31; from meeting to acceptance of the situation. It's not a plot-driven play. It's partly a situation drama - their unequal relationship; partly a character study - they're different kinds of people.

Philip is involved with Sue but meets Kath and falls in love with her. Philip's a playwright and Sue's a first-year art student. Kath had sex with Dan (same age as Philip, so 10 years older than her) when she was younger - whether over or under the legal age isn't spelt out. Dan was Sue's lover. Sue possibly encourages Philip to have sex with Kath to cover her guilt at shagging Dan (again). Possibly Kath is keen to shag Philip out of revenge on Dan for shagging Sue in the first place. Kath ends up with Dan. Philip doesn't like Dan. Philip is fairly broken-hearted but realistic about the age gap between him and Kath. During the play Philip moves from being a playwright with an Edinburgh show in prospect to working for the BBC. It's fairly clear from the start how the relationship between Kath and Philip is going to end up, perhaps because that's the way that situation - perhaps everyone's experienced something like it - generally does. And it has very much a this-really-happened feeling to it (whether or not it did) - a strong dose of realism. Dialogue is very real-life.

There's an elegant, simple, set. There's a clean, polished black floor with a moveable low podium, serving variously as a mount for a wooden bench or two, and as a place to lie down. Painted leaves are strewn across the podium and floor, evoking real gardens, but also a nostalic sense of Arcadia - an idealised past of romance and autumnal aromas.

The director makes definite choices with voices. Lloyd Thomas's Philip phrases his speech with exactly the - unique - inflection of comedian Tony Hancock (1924-1968). It's possibly a deliberate suggestion of a nostalic era of BBC radio comedy which seems Philip's heartland. His Philip's reflections on life - and there are many of them - carry the world-weary mournful ironic pessimism of Tony Hancock's radio character. Laura Corbett's Kath has two strongly different modes - one fairly quiet, one fairly loud. With Philip, Kath is often quiet, rising to stress and excitement at times. When speaking on the phone to Dan (he and the various other characters aren't present in the play), Kath becomes very animated, her voice a bit Australian - though Kath herself, it's suggested, comes from England. All these choices add complexity to two fascinating characters, and their relationship. Clothes too complement the characters - Philip wears a jacket, an overcoat, trousers all just a little more old-fashioned than the time and his age; Kath wears pretty smocks, cardigan, scarf, checked trousers, jeans, subtly-underscoring her character.

Although the world of the play is real - 'Edinburgh ruined me financially' (Philip), 'I can't stand Brighton, it's so false' (Kath) - the relationship between Kath and Philip is often suggested by insights and observations about themselves and each other. 'You've got tomboy hands', he says to her; 'We'll be chapters in each other's biographies' she says, 'We shall always know each other'. And their thoughts about the world - Philip comments about the BBC: 'I so believed in this institution when I was growing up'. It could be either of them, talking about love.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Laura Corbett - Kath. Lloyd Thomas - Philip.

Company Credits: Writer - Brian Mitchell. Associate Director - Guy Picot. Lighting Designer - Chris Umney. Sound Designer - uncredited. Technical Operator - uncredited. Producer - uncredited. Company - The Ornate Johnsons. Developed with - The Nightingale Theatre. Supported by - Arts Council England. Funded - Lottery Funded. Thanks to: Ross Gurney-Randall, Astral DeLaMare, Sarah-Jayne Butler, Ian Shaw, Clea Smith, David Mounfield, Louise Clarkson, Kerith Bell, Jason Pegg, Robert Brandt, Alister O'Loughlin, Miranda Henderson. Nightingale Theatre: Directors - Miranda Henderson, Alister o'Loughlin.

END

John Park

reviewed Thursday 12 June 08 / The Nightingale Theatre

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

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