The only problem with The Norman Conquests by Alan Ayckbourn at the Old Vic is deciding which to see first$$s$$ when you’ve seen one you have to see the other two. It’s not compulsory to do all three. Far from it$$s$$ such is Ayckbourn’s skill that each is excellent in its own right. It’s more like the unwritten rule of a drink with a friend: everyone knows you don’t go for ‘a’ drink, you enjoy it so much when you get there that you have to have a couple more.
I am not sure who deserves most credit for the way the three plays have become neither dated nor old-fashioned over the 35 years that have passed since they were written. It may be CQS, sponsors of the transformation of the Old Vic into a vast, modern theatre-in-the-round so complete that it takes a few blinks to work out quite where you are. It could be the innovative set, complete with cleverly incorporated country village in miniature. There is a strong case for the perfect comic timing and consummate skill of the six-strong cast and there are those who will put an oar in for the sheer quality of the writing$$s$$ classics never go out of fashion.
The Norman Conquests is the story of an eventful weekend at the family home of middle-aged siblings Reg, Ruth and Annie. Ostensibly Reg and his wife Sarah are visiting to offer Annie a weekend away from caring for ‘Mother’ who remains offstage throughout. Annie’s plans go awry and a bizarre but hilarious love pentangle revolving around Ruth’s husband Norman develops and threatens to crush both the whole family and Annie’s admirer, dim-witted but affable Tom. The action across the three plays takes place simultaneously in different parts of the house: the garden, the dining and living rooms.
Amanda Root is fantastic as the long-suffering Sarah, whose costumes are a treat for anyone who remembers the seventies and Alistair Cope’s charisma makes his Norman almost irresistible. Jessica Hynes brings a melancholy beauty to Annie but it is Paul Ritter who steals the show with his wonderful nails-down-a-blackboard nasal drawl as the repulsive Reg.
The Conquests are a masterpiece of dramaturgy and plotting but they are also much more. Each play offers different insights into the same characters and their lives. It is almost like watching a screensaver made up of family photos: images combine unexpectedly to enhance our appreciation of the whole.
Matthew Warchus’ production balances the wonderful comedy with the current of callous violence and despair that runs through the relationships on display. The laughter is never cathartic and it is almost impossible to decide whether any of the characters has really learned anything from the events in the plays.
If you can, see evening performances of all three$$s$$ the whistling of hearing aids at the matinees is almost as infuriating as Reg’s voice.
The Norman Conquests at The Old Vic until 20 December 2008.
The Old Vic
The Cut
London SE1 8NB
