A palliative ward in a hospice is hardly a cheery portent for an afternoon at the Fringe. This was a charming piece, however,
The play is well constructed, nuanced with light and shade
Two men are approaching the end of their days. Henry’s son, Justin, visits him frequently, dealing with a myriad of emotions. There is the obvious pain of watching his father slip away, but he is also wounded that his father kept details from him for so long. This triggers a memory muscle from his childhood. He has also recently split from his wife. Hamish’s daughter, conversely, relocated to South Africa and is not in touch.
We meet medical practitioners, tasked with making their final days as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. One of the nurses, Bronwyn, is deeply empathetic. She is also something of a singer/songwriter, or more specifically used to be. Justin hears her voice and something stirs within him.
Henry has a treasured life journal, a battered book containing hitherto deeply private thoughts spanning his decades. Upon hearing of Bronwyn’s prowess, he commissions her to write a collection of songs about his life. Her brief has two potentially difficult conditions: the final song should be sung when he is passing and she is not to disclose the project to Justin.
She sets about this task, her song-writing memory muscle twitching once again, after her self-imposed hiatus of a decade. The songs, accompanied by guitarist Jon Lawrence, are an uplifting joy, offering a counter-point to the sadness of the environment.
Meanwhile, Henry unexpectedly engineers a lovely final act of kindness for Hamish.
There had been an embryo of a romantic relationship brewing between Justin and Bronwyn; this is cast into doubt when Justin stumbles upon the album project. He is suddenly suspicious of Bronwyn and is rapidly, perhaps a little too rapidly, angered. This is, however, transference; his frustration lies with his father’s propensity for privacy. There is a highly moving denouement.
The play is well constructed, nuanced with light and shade and successfully sidesteps mawkish sentimentality. The performances are strong, especially Anne Yeomans as Bronwyn.
The production is in part a tribute to healthcare professionals. Moreover, it has at its core the message that love conquers all and, touchingly, that it doesn’t just stop once somebody passes.
God is in the big and the small – do remember to stir the tea in the right direction.
