September in the Rain Churchill Theatre Review
September in the Rain
Churchill Theatre, Bromley
28 October – 2 November 2013
Reviewed by Emma Rogers
September in the Rain tells the story of writer John Godbar’s parents reminiscing about their holidays in Blackpool in the 1950s.
Claire Sweeney and John Thomson embroider a thin script with some eccentric characters they meet at Blackpool, their story of how they met there and hilarious re-enactments of their first encounter with Blackpool Tower, the Big Dipper and the old-fashioned boarding houses.
Sweeney starts as a 60+ year old sitting on the beach is what is only to be presumed as one of their last holidays for the couple in their twilight years. Both Sweeney and Thomson are unrecognisable with their elderly demeanours and only at the end do you realise they both age their voices quite dramatically to portray the older versions of the characters Liz and Jack before morphing into their 1950s selves. Sweeney ads some of her vocals to the anecdotes which are woven together only very loosely, but the real rewards go to John Thomson who surprises everyone with his singing voice and ability to character act. We forget that the comedian comes from a stella background of character acting, and although neither of them disappoint, Thomson is the more believable character. If I have one criticism of the acting, it is that Claire Sweeney is less convincing as a 1950s housewife than John Thomson is of a Yorkshire miner, but their interpretation of the dialogue makes up for it.
I’m not sure how John Godbar thought the idea of writing about his parent’s time in Blackpool was worthy of a stage play (the theme alone isn’t going to win any awards) but the writing is good enough. It reminded me of my own grandparents in a nostalgic way, especially as the constant bickering and fighting was part of everyday life for the “Jack and Vera" generation. In fact, the arguing gets in the way of the story a little too much, but Sweeney and Thomson pull it off well enough that you forget about the spats and instead remember the hilarious sketches about the deckchair or the other boarding house guests.
The play is a nice reminder of times gone by, but the real reason to see this show is if you want to see two actors take on character roles and make you laugh at the same time. You won’t forget the quality of the acting, even if you have never visited Blackpool, as I haven’t. A good show for taking your parents, or grandparents to and at only 1hour 35 minutes long, it’s the perfect length for a pre-show dinner too.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £11.90 to £32.40 (plus £2.85 transaction fee). Currently showing at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley until 2 November 2013. To book tickets click here.
