Happy Family

Publicity #1: Happy Family
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: January 4 2018 issue – page 34
Correspondent: Phil Hewitt
Text Header: Happy Family is 2018 opener in Southwick
Text: Content

After your own happy family times over the Christmas holiday, come and meet the Solstice family at Southwick’s Barn Theatre in the opening play of the 70th season for the Wick Theatre Company.

As spokeswoman Judith Berrill explains: “Happy Family was Giles Cooper’s last play before his own dramatic and mysterious death in 1966 when he fell from a train in unexplained circumstances. He was a compulsive writer from an early age and he crammed an enormous amount of successful plays and TV scripts into his writing life, including the Maigret stories for the 1960s television series.

The first productions of Happy Family starred Wendy Craig, Michael Denison and Dulcie Gray. Set in the 1960s, the Barn stage will be transformed into a cosy beamed cottage where the three members of the Solstice family meet up and it becomes rapidly clear that they are still as emotionally vulnerable and innocent as when they were children, Mark the bully, Susan the bossy older sister and Deborah who is apparently totally unaware of the facts of life. Held together by an elaborate system of nursery rules and their joint failure to grow up, the introduction of Susan’s new fiancé into their midst is the catalyst that stretches their childhood chains to breaking point.

Tony Brownings, one of Wick’s most successful directors [The Ladykillers, One Man Two Guvnors, Abigail’s Party, Noises Off] leads a great team of experienced actors.

Mark Best, who received high praise for his leading role in One Man Two Guvnors is joined by Lyn Snowdon who has appeared in many roles in theatres across Sussex. Emily Hale, who terrified audiences as the Superintendent in Accidental Death of an Anarchist, and dan Dryer, director and accomplished actor, previously with Alan Ayckbourn’s company in Scarborough.”

Tony sums up the play: “The characters are bonkers, the play is disturbing and also disturbingly funny, with some cracking one-liners!”

Giles Stannus Cooper [1918 – 1966] was an Anglo-Irish playwright and prolific radio dramatist, writing over sixty scripts of BBC Radio and television. Cooper died at the age of 48 after falling from train as it passed through Surbiton, Surrey, returning from a Guild of Dramatists’ Christmas dinner at the Garrick on December 2 1966.

Happy family opened at the Hampstead Theatre in 1966 starring Wendy Craig. It then transferred to the West End with Michael Dennison, Dulcie Gray and Robert Flemying. It was revived in 1984 starring Ian Ogilvy, Angela Thorne, James Laurenson and Stephanie Beacham.

Performances run from Wednesday, January 3 to Saturday, Janaury 6 at the Barn Theatre, Southwick Street, Southwick. Curtain up is at 7.45pm. Tickets cost £11 from the box office on 01273 597094 or through website www.wicktheatre.co.uk

Wick Gold Cards are also available which give the full 2018 season of four plays and additional benefits for £36.

Emily Hale is Deborah Solstice; Dan Dryer is Mark, her brother; Lyn Snowdon is Susan, her elder sister; and Mark Best is Gregory Butler.

Review #1: Happy Family
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Electronic Publication Data: January 5 2018 – 10.14
Reviewer: Elaine Hammond
Text Header: Wick Theatre has started its 70th season in style with a brilliant production
Text: Content

Hilarious, terrifying, sinister, thought-provoking, Happy Family by Giles Cooper has it all and we left the Barn Theatre last night absolutely reeling. This is one to provoke discussion, for sure.

Director Tony Brownings has been wanting to revive this forgotten gem for some time, having appeared it in for New Venture Theatre in Brighton more than 30 years ago. He has brought together a stellar cast of four, Emily Hale as Deborah Solstice, Dan Dryer as her brother Mark, Lyn Snowdon as her sister Susan and Mark Best as Susan’s fiancé Gregory Butler. They cannot be faulted. Each put in a tremendous performance and they worked together so well. The dialogue moves very quickly and in places they have to be talking over each other but they do this so well and not a line was dropped last night.

The three siblings are adults but have not developed adult behaviour, continuing their shared private language, childish games and sibling rivalry. Tony sums up the play: “The characters are bonkers, the play is disturbing and also disturbingly funny, with some cracking one-liners.”

It is quite disturbing, it is fair to say, and there are some uncomfortable moments, covering racism and rape, which are difficult to watch. But it is also very funny, thanks to the excellent comic timing, Lyn with her bossiness, Dan with his cold, hard stares, Emily acting out the youngest sister’s innocence and Mark as a man who is desperate to fit in.

The characterisation was spot on. The bullying from the brother was actually quite sinister and Dan was able to turn the dark side of ‘Bark’ on very quickly, yet showed his vulnerability, too. In contrast, Deborah is so innocent, she is totally unaware of the facts of life and still believes in Father Christmas. Emily plays it to perfection, all bouncy and determined. They deserved a bigger audience than they had for the second night, though I am told ticket sales were better later in the week. The play is set in Hertfordshire in the 1960s and the Barn Theatre stage was transformed into a cosy beamed cottage, a marvellous achievement from the construction crew. There were timber beams, a hallway with stairs, bookcase and period fireplace – it all looked great.

Happy Family continues tonight and tomorrow at 7.45pm at the Barn Theatre, part of Southwick Community Centre, in Southwick Street, Southwick. Tickets are £11.

Review #2: Happy Family
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Hard Publication Data: January 11 issue – page 25
Reviewer: Elaine Hammond
Text Header: Though-provoking play is perfect way to launch Wick’s 70th seaon
Text: Content

Wick Theatre Company has started its 70th season in style with a brilliant production.

Hilarious, terrifying, sinister, thought-provoking, Happy Family by Giles Cooper has it all and we left the Barn Theatre last night absolutely reeling. This was one to provoke lengthy discussion, for sure, and there was plenty of that on the train home!

Director Tony Brownings has been wanting to revive this forgotten gem for some time, having appeared it in for New Venture Theatre in Brighton more than 30 years ago. He brought together a stellar cast of four, Emily Hale as Deborah Solstice, Dan Dryer as her brother Mark, Lyn Snowdon as her sister Susan and Mark Best as Susan’s fiancé Gregory Butler. They could not be faulted. Each put in a tremendous performance and they worked together so well. The dialogue moves very quickly and in places they have to be talking over each other but they do this so well and not a line was dropped.

The three siblings are adults but have not developed adult behaviour, continuing their shared private language, childish games and sibling rivalry. Tony sums up the play: “The characters are bonkers, the play is disturbing and also disturbingly funny, with some cracking one-liners.”

It is quite disturbing, it is fair to say, and there are some uncomfortable moments, covering racism and rape, which are difficult to watch. But it is also very funny, thanks to the excellent comic timing, Lyn with her bossiness, Dan with his cold, hard stares, Emily acting out the youngest sister’s innocence and Mark as a man who is desperate to fit in.

The characterisation was spot on. The bullying from the brother was actually quite sinister and Dan was able to turn the dark side of ‘Bark’ on very quickly, yet showed his vulnerability, too. In contrast, Deborah is so innocent, she is totally unaware of the facts of life and still believes in Father Christmas. Emily plays it to perfection, all bouncy and determined. They deserved a bigger audience than they had for the second night, though I am told ticket sales were better later in the week. The play is set in Hertfordshire in the 1960s and the Barn Theatre stage was transformed into a cosy beamed cottage, a marvellous achievement from the construction crew. There were timber beams, a hallway with stairs, bookcase and period fireplace – it all looked great.

Expect the high standards to continue this anniversary season with Disappeared in April, The Tempest in June and Plaza Suite in September.

Review #3: Happy Family
Publication: Brighton Argus
Publication Data: January 8 2018 issue – page 27
Reviewer: Barrie Jerram
Text: Content

Giles Cooper was a prolific playwright both for the stage and radio. Happy Family was his last play before his tragic death in 1966.

It introduces the Solstice family – Susan, brother Mark and Deborah, their sister. Although grown up in years they have remained trapped inside their childhood with its silly rules, nonsense rhymes and still using their invented language.

They came to this state through their parents keeping them away from the real world, restricting them to the nursery with armchairs being moved in as they became older. “Mummy & Daddy” believed in slow growth. Their cosy world is disrupted by the arrival of Gregory, Susan’s fiancé. He is the catalyst that stretches their childhood chains to breaking point.

There is plenty of humour in the writing but the comedy turns darker as the play progresses. Its style is very reminiscent of Alan Ayckbourn – it encourages us to laugh at people who are more deserving of our sympathy.

Director Tony Brownings, has created a production that it is hard to find fault with. He fully understands the play and moves it along at a finely judged pace. He has chosen a cast who turn in astonishing performances, achieving the correct balance between childish and normal behaviour. As Susan Lyn Snowdon has the right mixture of bossiness and latent vulnerability. Emily Hale is endearing as Deborah, the most childlike, who for a short while is brought out into reality. She has a delightful scene after she has been told the facts of life.

Dan Dryer has fun playing Mark, a pompous bully, complete with snide drawl, forever goading the hapless interloper, Gregory. Mark Best’ performance is perfectly understated thereby extracting full comedy potential from the role.

An evening of fine theatre but perhaps not to everybody’s taste.

Review #4: Happy Family
Publication: N.O.D.A – National Operatic and Dramatic Association
Publication Data: January 4 2018
Reviewer: Deborah (Dee) Sharpe – Regional representative for South East Region District 1 [Mid Sussex] Text Header: …a hugely entertaining, thought provoking evening.
Text: Content

One of the things that makes attending a production by the Wick Theatre Company is the charming welcome by the front of house team, all in black tie or evening gowns which creates a superior ambience from the outset. As I settled in my seat I could not help feeling that the Barn Theatre, with its stone, brick and beamed interior is a wonderful venue.

For Happy Family, the Barn Theatre stage became a wonderfully authentic 1960’s lounge with stairs leading to bedrooms and a door to the kitchen. One of the props was a very un PC 1960’s toy; a bit of a kick against the current trend to erase certain aspects of history maybe?

The play is a darkly comic play about siblings, two sisters and a brother who are locked into the relationships they had as children. This is evident when they get together, as they revert to childish squabbles, tantrums, threats, made-up languages and games. The action takes place in Deborah’s cottage where brother Mark comes to stay, closely followed by sister Susan who introduces another element into the mix, her fiancé Gregory who is keen to become part of the family.

From the outset I was completely hooked; giggling one minute and on the edge of my seat the next. The claustrophobic, comic, yet sinister atmosphere of this play was executed perfectly by Emily Hale as Deborah Solstice, Dan Dryer as the brother Mark (Bark), Lyn Snowdon as his sister Susan and Mark Best as her hapless fiancé Gregory.

The play’s success is dependent on each role being performed by talented actors that ‘get’ the play and can entirely inhabit the role of vulnerable adult children, interacting as children, to make each believable and draw the audience into their actions and antics. The actors (and of course the director) succeeded admirably.

Dan as Mark was stroppy, bullying menacing and babyish by turn with great expression and vulnerable boy-like body language. Lyn as older sister Susan seemed at first to be more adult than the others, which made it doubly creepy when her childlike elements leaked out. Emily Hale was utterly convincing as gauche youngest sibling Deborah, cavorting around with an innocent heart and childlike sense of humour. Mark gave a winning performance as fiancé Gregory floundering around to find his place in the midst of this highly eccentric family. The interplay between the characters, the choreography and timing were seamless

The play was riveting; daft, funny and menacing, with a certain pathos; a perfect blend of ingredients for a hugely entertaining, thought provoking evening.