Trelawny of the 'Wells'

Synopsis

Jamie Beamish, Ron Cook and Aimee-Ffion Edwards are soon to star in Joe Wright’s interpretation of Arthur Wing Pinero’s Trelawny of the Wells.

Rose Trelawny, the young and much adored star of the Sadlers Wells Theatre, is leaving the profession to marry into High Society. But can she tolerate society, or more to the point, can society tolerate her? This is a charming romantic comedy, and a delightful period piece full of wonderful characters, all set against the background magic of life in the Victorian Theatre.

Joe Wright, the highly esteemed director of Anna Karenina and Atonement, will no doubt present another visually remarkable production. The play will accentuate the style of the 1860s, and the melodramatic material, stereotypical of that era, is likely to be drawn out.

Will Rose make amends, and will she one day star again? Why not book your tickets to see this Production at the Donmar Warehouse and find out.

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 27 February 2013

Cheeky: Joe Wright's highly enjoyable revival of Arthur Wing Pinero's hymn to the changing theatre starts, bizarrely, with Charley's Aunt climbing out of a wicker basket. It's Ron Cook as Mrs Mossop, a fussing landlady in an actors' lodging house in Clerkenwell.

In the second act, Cook reappears as a crusty old vice-chancellor, Sir William Gower, in Cavendish Square, presiding over the mortuary-like silence descending on Rose Trelawny's prospective marriage to his grandson; she's left the theatre for love, but will she return?

In the third act, Cook meets himself coming back as his other character in a brilliant sleight of costume; and in the fourth, he finally caves in to theatrical life and helps sponsor a new play.

It is 20 years since London had, as it happens, two productions of this glorious Victorian...

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Latest User Review

David Baxter - 12 April 2013:

Joe Wright is a hugely successful and respected film director but this is his first major theatrical production and there are signs that he is trying to hard to impress. It is an amusing play but no more than that and nicely points out the contrast between the Victorian hammy style of acting and a more naturalistic style, rather like Red Velvet at the Tricycle. That does not mean though that every character, including the non-thespians, should be so ripe and Wright has failed to realise that it would be far funnier in moderation and in context. It also plods along at a leaden pace at times and I was longing for it to reach its inevitable conclusion. Some of the cast rise above these shortcomings: Maggie Steed just about manages to avoid going completely over the top; Ron Cook is excellent in the dual roles of the fiercesome Vice Chancellor and a theatrical landlady and lovely Susannah Fielding is enchanting as a questionably upmarket actress turned producer. Unfortunately, once again, this is a fairly ordinary production from the Donmar where the extraordinary used to be the norm....

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