Reader Reviews
On the Shore of the Wide World (Cottesloe (National Theatre), West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | The key word in Mark Shenton's review is "televisual" as this is just like watching a rather soapy TV drama. Although the extended Holmes family are put through a range of situations, love, children moving away, grief, frustration, etc I didn't feel that Simon Stephens had anything particularly new to say about any of it. The play is lifted above mediocrity by some outstanding acting, especially from Nicholas Gleaves as Peter, struggling to come to terms with the changes in his previously predictable life. This was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours, especially at just £10 for a prime seat, but it will not stick in the memory for long. - 62.6.139.13) | 29 Jul 05 |
| Flawless! What a show! Truly the best new play of 2005. The superb performances in this gritty, moving and deeply touching play are some of the finest i have seen in theatre. Steven Webb as charming Christopher is outstanding is his delivery, comic timing and realism. And Nicholas Gleaves as Christopher's wonderfully judged father is a joy to watch. Some of the staging seemed slightly unwise but with an original set consisting of a map of Stockport as the floor, and a large blue globe containing star constellations hanging fron the roof these minor faults are easily overlooked. - 195.93.21.102) | 20 Jul 05 |
| This is a beautiful, beautiful piece of writing and a fantastic production with perect performances all round. Much credit must go to the director Sarah Frankom and writer Simon Stephens. If you love theatre you can't fail to love this. - 82.69.37.108) | 13 Jun 05 |
| I find it hard to describe this play or to say why I enjoyed it so much. It's like spending six months with a family during an important time for them and observing & sharing their experiences, fun, sadness, and problems. Wondeful characterisation and excellent performances. I found it warm and captivating and left the theatre feeling deeply rewarded - but I'm not entirely sure why ! - 81.134.200.235) | 09 Jun 05 |
| After Laura Wade's "Colder Than Here" and Amelia Bullmore's "Mammals", I would say that this is the best new play of '05 so far: it would be a shame to give away too much of the plot but this engrossing, humorous, occasionally heartbreaking piece should appeal to anyone who likes characters they can really care about, cracking dialogue and a quietly gripping plot. The only thing that stopped me giving it 5 stars is a bit of a sag in Act 2 where every character gets a slightly-too-pat opportunity for confession. See it anyway though; this is one of the best in-the-round staging's I've ever seen and the entire cast are flawless. Siobhan Finneran and Nicholas Gleaves are haunting as the parents, and in Carla Henry, Thomas Morrison and, above all, Steven Webb, London is introduced to some remarkable young acting talent. - 195.82.123.181) | 02 Jun 05 |
| Magnificent performances particularly from the central quartet of the parents and two boys. A very impressive start to this play with remarkably powerful portraits of the central family but it drags slightly in the second half and loses its impact. - 80.177.231.164) | 28 May 05 |
| Maybe the cast have settled in now - I saw this in it's final week in Manchester - but for me this is a terrific script given performances of mind-blowing honesty. There simply is not a weak link in the cast, and several potentially award winning (IF there was any justice) performances. Nicholas Gleaves is superb. His actions and body language are spot-on - take two contrasting scenes where he is sympathising (with barely concealled amusement) with his younger son's sudden infatuation with his older siblings girlfriend, and later saying goodbye on a railway platform, to his older son who is moving to London. Love shines through both scenes where words are inadequate. Carla Henry as the the said girlfriend is also wonderful as a bolshie, yet vunerable, young woman. David Hargreaves treads a potentially difficult role with a fine sense of human frailty, contrasting violence, love and dispair equally. Siobhan Finnerans shut-down in the face of dispair is heart-breaking. You physically lean forward to try and help her to talk, to stop her from making (largely unwittingly) bad situations worse. My only, very minor, cavil was that surely the cast could have moved the minimal furniture and props around - did it really need them to vacate the stage whilst three stagehands did the job? I disliked the author's (Simon Stephens) last piece at this theatre (Port) but would have missed a rare treat had I allowed it to prevent me seeing "On The Shore of the Wide World". This is the Royal Exchange at its very considerable best. - 81.76.68.3) | 12 May 05 |
