| “Moving, Thoughtful- Life in all its Ordinary Beauty” |
Welsh National Theatre |
| Our Town- Critical Compilation , Rose Theatre Kingston , April 13, 2026 |
The critics who were not at the venues in Wales were at the Rose Theatre. The Independent was there: “Why Our Town? When Newport-born thespian Michael Sheen announced last year that Thornton Wilder’s canonised 1938 play would be the inaugural production for his new Welsh National Theatre (an ambitious, self-funded replacement for the recently shuttered National Theatre Wales), it seemed, perhaps, an odd choice. Set in the fictional New Hampshire town of Grover’s Corners, Our Town is about as Welsh as corn dogs or Super Bowl Sunday. “And yet, watching Francesca Goodridge’s assured production at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, I’m struck by just how apt a selection this was. Sheen (also the artistic director of the WNT) plays the stage manager, Our Town’s fourth-wall-breaking narrator – a cute metatextual idea in a play that’s already full of them. He waxes lyrical to the audience, then prowls the sidelines as we witness the goings-on in Grover’s Corners, a lot of which concern a teenage love affair between the sweet, oblivious George (Peter Devlin) and the bright but insecure Emily (Yasemin Özdemir). “...Sheen is surely the play’s big selling point – he’s all over the advertising – and the Stage Manager is a role that has a lot of serious history behind it. (Previous actors to have played the part include Paul Newman, Orson Welles, and Henry Fonda.) He’s good, here, albeit entirely within his comfort zone: big, loud, and avuncular seems increasingly to be his modus operandi these days. That said, when the play returns from intermission, Sheen proves he has the nuance needed for its elegiac gut-punch of a third act. “In choosing such a time-tested classic for its inaugural play, the Welsh National Theatre is, presumably, seeking to establish a sense of tradition, rooted in something old and far-reaching. Its second production, an original Welsh play by Gary Owen, will be a stark – and presumably deliberate – counterpoint.” Abridged, with thanks and acknowledgement, from the full review which can be read by subscription at: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/our-town-review-michael-sheen-rose-theatre-b2932481.html * * * * Theatre Weekly was there: “Our Town is the first major production of the newly formed Welsh National Theatre. The company was founded by legendary actor Michael Sheen a year ago following the closure of National Theatre Wales due to funding cuts. After a sold-out tour in Wales, it has landed at the venue of its co‑producer – the Rose Theatre. “A revival of Thornton Wilder’s 1938 American classic is an unusual but inspired choice for the team’s inaugural show. The action is transposed from a sleepy, insular community in New Hampshire to a similar set-up in Wales. Most of the script is true to the play’s US original. American place names and some historical and cultural details are kept but delivered with Welsh accents. And there is some powerful hymn singing in Welsh. Audiences are likely to be reminded of Llareggub, the fictional village in Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood, which features similarly quirky ordinary folk and universal themes. The blending of settings might seem odd, but it works because the storyline and themes are universal. “...Michael Sheen is a commanding and witty presence as Stage Manager, our chief storyteller and guide. He is clearly in his element, interjecting the action with quips and reflections. There are standout performances from Yasemin Özdemir as the bright and exuberant Emily and Peter Devlin as her down‑to‑earth young husband George Gibbs. “Our Town is very much an ensemble piece, and the 18‑strong company are beautifully choreographed by movement director Jess Williams, working alongside director Francesca Goodridge. The physical element is present throughout, changing from fluid, acrobatic, slow‑motion and dead still, mirroring the emotional journey of the piece. Hayley Grindle’s design does away with traditional scenery and props. Instead, buildings and furniture are created by the cast wielding ladders, planks of wood and chairs. Homes, school, church and graveyard are effortlessly built and dismantled in a continuous mesmerising dreamlike dance. The surreal effect is reinforced by breath‑taking lighting effects from Ryan Joseph Stafford.” Abridged, with thanks and acknowledgement, from the full review which can be read at: https://theatreweekly.com/review-our-town-at-rose-theatre/ * * * * Time and Leisure was there: “Thornton Wilder’s profound play about the everyday lives of ordinary people is brought vividly to life on the intimate stage of the Rose Theatre. And what a powerful production it is. “Written in 1937 and performed on Broadway a year later, Our Town has long been considered Wilder’s masterpiece. Its themes are universal and, in many ways, timeless. Set in Grover’s Corners, the play focuses on a small community where people rub along: they work, they laugh, they sing, they fall in love, raise their children and grow old. Yet within these ordinary moments lie deeper truths that reach out to us all, alongside a plea to cherish every moment while you can. “This new production, a collaboration between the Rose Theatre and Welsh National Theatre, brings a distinctive perspective. While the action remains in America, the accents are Welsh, and there are references to Welsh names and phrases. The effect is to create a shared theatrical space: Grover’s Corners becomes somewhere that could be anywhere. “Michael Sheen takes on the role of the Stage Manager, a narrator guiding the audience through the story. His presence draws you in, making you aware that you are being invited to watch the lives of this community unfold. Sheen commands the stage, his deep voice and twinkling eyes holding the audience’s attention throughout. “The staging is minimal but highly effective. A backdrop of tall grasses moves around the stage, while large planks are handled deftly by the cast to represent different spaces such as a church. At one point, actors move Sheen around on the planks while he speaks, creating a dynamic sense of movement. The set is always shifting, reflecting life itself, while also emphasising the natural landscape of the town. Lighting changes to bathe the stage in a full moon or a canopy of stars. “The first act focuses on the minutiae of daily life. We watch a girl and a boy fall in love and marry. It could be a long 90 minutes for the first act but it is beautifully acted, with the cast creating believable characters that bring the audience into their world. “It is after the interval that the deeper meaning of the play becomes clear. Some characters we have followed from the beginning return as ghosts, brilliantly imagined sitting atop ladders looking down on those they have left behind. It would perhaps give too much away to say exactly who or how, but the effect is moving. There is a risk with a play such as this that it could become mawkish. Yet this production avoids that. There are moments of genuine humour throughout, and the performances remain grounded and human. The result is something deeply affecting. The play encourages us to reflect on the people who raised us, the value of community and belonging, and the simple fact that our time in the world is short. “...Having already run in Wales earlier this year, the production is now at the Rose Theatre until 28 March. It is a moving, thoughtful staging of a classic play, one that reminds us that life, in all its ordinary beauty, is happening right now. And it is no dress rehearsal. Abridged, with thanks and acknowledgement, from the full review which can be read at: https://timeandleisure.co.uk/things-to-do/review-our-town-rose-theatre/ |
Reviewed by: Adam Somerset |
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