Humble Boy

Synopsis

A comedy about broken vows, failed hopes and the joys of beekeeping. All is not well in the Humble hive. Thirty five year old Felix Humble is a Cambridge astro-physicist in search of a unified field theory. Following the sudden death of his father, he returns to his middle England home and his difficult and demanding mother, where he soon realises that his search for unity must include his own chaotic home life.

Our Review:

7 April 2004

Any play which uses bees as a metaphor for the family structure with smatterings of scientific theory and references to Hamlet may seem like a hard sell. But playwright of the moment, Charlotte Jones had an unlikely hit with this tale of bee keeping and family strife at the National and the West End two years ago. Audiences in Manchester are finally given the chance to see if this play is the bee's knees. (sorry!).

Felix Humble (Ian Midlane) returns reluctantly to his family home following the death of his beloved father. His mother, Flora (Anna Nicholas) is determined to move on and embark on a relationship with wide boy, George Stephen McKenna. Felix clashes with his vain mother and seeks solace in the arms of George's feisty daughter, Rosie (Jessica Lloyd). But she is set to cause even more turmoil in the Humbles' English Country Garden.

Jones' marvellous writing leaves the audience laughing at the saddest of situations. One scene featuring th...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com (213.78.92.72) - 9 April 2004:

HUMBLE BOY By Charlotte Jones Directed by John Caird. Reading the programme notes entitled ‘The Theory of Everything’ which deals with Einstein’s general relativity for understanding the universe on the largest of scales, and then proceeds to quantum mechanics – a theoretical framework for understanding the same universe on the smallest of scales, one could easily expect an intensely mind stretching evening, and it is not surprising that our hero, Felix (HUGH SACHS) is hearing noises in his head, and stammers nervously, while trying to reconcile the two theories and compulsively attempting to work out the correct collective noun for beekeepers. He has arrived home after the sudden death of his father – a teacher and also a beekeeper - to find that his vain and overbearing mother, Flora (HAYLEY MILLS) is about to marry George Pye (PAUL HECHT), a somewhat boorish, but fun-loving man, given to a great deal of swearing, and to peeing in some unfortunate places! He also has the idea that Felix’ theoretical astrophysics studies are some form of astrology, and the dislike and resentment between the two is obvious, not helped by the fact that Felix had previously had a disastrous affair with George’s daughter, Rosie, played superbly by CARLA LANG, a newcomer who only graduated in July this year and is obviously one to watch in the future. A neighbour, Mercy (BRIGIT FORSYTH), a little downtrodden, and with terrible dress sense, tries to be helpful to everyone, and is largely ignored……..but, her moment will come…..more of that later! The set is amazing…a remarkable achievement to have created such a lush and lavish garden, climbing to a great height with steps and paths among the tall grasses and flowers, and dominated by a large beehive at the summit, with a solitary apple on a branch of the tree above. Jim (JOHN BURGESS) wanders through, tending the plants, but is he really the gardener? There are frequent literary allusions throughout the text, but in no way is this a ‘heavy’ piece. In fact the laughter continued throughout, but especially in the second act where Mercy finally snaps, and, when invited to say ‘grace’ begins ‘For what we are about to receive, which none of you really want to eat, but which I stayed up to two in the morning to make, and I didn’t even have any pimentos………’..and then continues in the same vein for a good five minutes. This speech had me, and no doubt most of the audience, crying with laughter, and received a long round of applause. The longest and funniest ‘grace’ I have ever heard! It is revealed towards the end of the play that the father had developed an allergy to bee stings and that was how he died, so his widow had had the bees removed, and the ‘bee-loud glade’ was now beeless. Not only that, but the offending bee had been crushed beneath her heel ‘The bee died as well!’ I can relate to that having recently been stung by a wasp….”He’s Dead Now!” A moving and exceeding funny play, expertly directed and faultlessly acted. A delight! Don’t miss it! A thought to finish….Bumble Bees (once known as Humble Bees) don’t obey the laws of physics, but they fly anyway! Reviewed by Sheila Ann Connor at Guildford...

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