Art and Allotments
by Cheryl Vallely
Louth Playgoers
Riverhead Theatre
14 - 16 September 2022
Art and Allotments is the winner of the Riverhead Theatre's Scratch Night 2021. Written by Cheryl Vallely as part of the annual playwriting course held at the theatre, and led by John Hewer. This new production sees the script expanded and developed, directors Michelle Brown and Rebekah Hardy bring the production to the stage for three nights this week from Wednesday.
This bittersweet, comedy drama is a gentle examination of the unlikely friendship formed when two vastly different men strike up a conversation on a railway platform. Albert is an elderly widower awaiting a lift from his daughter, Emily. Jack is a young man with no family and dreams of becoming a successful artist. From this unlikely beginning, an inspiring and lasting friendship blossoms as their lives intertwine. Albert finds a new lease of life beyond his home and his allotment as the desire to fly the coop and to see what the world has to offer with his young friend. The two promise to visit significant cities in Europe, and to view artwork by the great masters at every stop. The friendship, however, is viewed with suspicion at first. Albert's daughter Emily and her lothario husband Michael refuse to see the good in the relationship. Michael only assumes the worst - that Jack is after Emily's inheritance because he judges others by his own standards. If the play has a message, it is that it is never too late for true friendship to blossom, and you should never judge a book by its cover.
As the kind-hearted but slightly lonely Albert, Derek Hodges presents a lovely portrait of a man slightly overwhelmed by the events of later life, that still has a sparkle in his eyes when the opportunity presents a new experience. Its a far cry from many of the roles I have seen him portray down the years but is played sensitively and with great understanding. He never seeks to play Albert as a caricature and is highly credible as the trusting central character, willing to see the good in everyone. His quiet life as a mainstay of village life, or pottering around his allotment is occasionally disrupted by visits from his family but they still look out for him and his daughter only has his best interests at heart.
As his daughter, Emily, Amanda Hodges plays a kind, devoted daughter who worries about what her Dad might be getting into and initially is concerned for his welfare knowing his trusting nature. Upon meeting Jack and his girlfriend Chloe, hear fears are allayed and she rejoices in the new found enthusiasm revived in her father, though she is clearly fighting her own corner in a loveless marriage with boorish husband Michael. As the charmless Michael, Magnus Moorhourse plays against type, always suspicious of outsiders, putting his wife down and belittling others, Michael clearly suffers from the equivalent of Small Man Syndrome. It is nice to see that he gets his comeuppance in the play.
As the young artist with grand aspiration, Jack, Ed Mapletoft gives a sensitive portrayal that treads a fine line between admiration and affection for Jack, as each man sees something of themselves, in the other. Jack does not trust easily and prefers a reclusive lifestyle generally and hos long-term girl-friend, who at the outset is not his girlfriend, Chloe is played by co-director Hardy. Albert teaches Jack to trust ans Jack teaches Albert to dream. It is a mutually beneficial friendship, as unlikely as it may seem at first.
We hear about Chloe in Act One and meet her in Act Two. Rebekah Hardy makes Chloe an aspiring retailer who has a plan to open a small coffee shop and befriends Emily, who offers to act as a business adviser - a role she had once performed for Michael before the professional success of which he repeatedly brags. In a sleazy turn of events, we witness Michael drooling over Chloe, though thankfully she will have none of it.
Rounding out the cast, we have a couple who could have stepped out of Last of the Summer Wine. As Ada and Harry. Jo Cox and Andy Vallely are friends and neighbours. Harry has the hangdog expression of a man rarely allowed to speak, but forever condemned for being overly talkative by his chatterbox of a wife. Harry enjoys the allotment next to Albert and the couple gift him with some carrots "Skinny and orange - just how I like my men!"
In a play in which little "happens" on stage, the heartstrings are tugged and tempers flare at times but nevertheless, Art and Allotments remains a gentle and easy-going comedy drama effectively guided on its path by Browne and Hardy as directors. The show runs from Wednesday to Friday this week in the main theatre at the Riverhead.
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