Sinister Warren, the country house of the mysterious, puckish Lob, is the venue for a curious summer party. Read more …
None of the guests knows their host – or seem to have anything in common with each other – whilst Lob himself is interested only in spinning wild tales about an enchanted wood, which according to local legend appears once a year on Midsummer`s Eve...and the guests themselves could certainly do with some enchantment.
Jack and Mabel Purdie`s marriage is threatened by his dalliance with Joanna Trott: curious that Lob should have invited all three.
Artist Will Dearth and his wife are embittered by their childless state – and he`s drinking too much.
An older couple, the Coades, seem comfortable and content, but is it just habit?
And the snobbish Lady Caroline seems alone and loveless.
Then, on Midsummer`s Eve, as the guests prepare to take an evening stroll, a moonlit wood appears as if by magic on the very spot where Lob`s garden had once stood. Transfixed, Lob reveals that, according to legend, in the wood you get what all of his guests secretly wish for: a second chance at life.
And one by one, they venture out into the trees, desperate to discover what might have been...and enter a world of magic, and confusion, and unexpected possibilities.
J. M. Barrie`s delightful, touching comedy-drama from 1917 is full of the author`s characteristic wit, imagination and understanding.
John Durnin’s fine eleven-strong cast succeed in focussing on the narrative, tightening its thread, and keeping the whole strange, poignant show on the road.
John Durnin’s handsome Pitlochry production, the last to open in the 2012 summer season, does the play considerable justice, however, playing to the company’s strengths with a large cast, a lavish design and an understanding of the playwright’s obsessions.
Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Pitlochry from Wednesday August 1, 2012, until Wednesday October 10, 2012. More info: www.pitlochry.org.uk
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