Andrew Bovell is one of Australia’s best known screen writers and 'Things I Know To Be True' was a collaboration between Frantic Assembly and State Theatre Company of South Australia. It is a contemporary play which was originally produced in collaboration with Warwick Arts Centre in association with Chichester Festival Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith. The story is a poignant tale about a suburban family’s turbulent relationship between parents; Bob and Fran and their four grown up children. The play begins with a seemingly happy and content family but over the course of two acts, we watch their stability unravel and everything they ‘know to be true’ become false. I was fortunate enough to see the original production when it toured at The Lowry Theatre in 2016 under the direction of the innovative Geordie Brookman and Scott Graham and I was curious to see if the amateur production would attempt any of the daring physical theatre techniques of Frantic Assembly. Sadly, this production did not. However, what it lacked in physicality, it made up for in professionalism.
Under the design of Juliet Jones, the set was magnificent. The design concept mirrored that of the 2016 professional production and was as professionally constructed and presented. The use of the rose bushes as a backdrop throughout was a lovely metaphor for the dying relationships in the family.
Director Carole Carr created a real masterpiece on stage which gives the stunning script the glory it deserves. Although the majority of the play is naturalistic in its acting style, the use of ensemble dialogue from the family members and dislocated speech in the opening scene was exciting and innovative, making way for the first lengthy monologue. In this monologue we witnessed the youngest daughter of the family, Rosie (Megan Relph) speaking at length with a passionate naivety as she travels around Europe. There are very few plays whereby the audience erupt into applause at the end of scene one, but Relph’s delivery was testament to this reaction. Her portrayal of the youthful teen as her naivety is shattered in this opening scene is a foreboding of how she will cope as her family (whom she trusts and can turn to), as they each single handily let her down with their own misgivings and life choices which all impacted on her.
The Monday night audience of the Garrick, tends to be an older crowd of patrons who have season passes. I really felt that although a lot of the vulgar language in the script may have pushed their acceptable boundaries, the empathy the older generations may have felt towards parents Bob (Charlie Tomlinson) and Fran (Brigid Hemingway) was appropriately directed in the parents’ frustrations of their adult offspring’s life choices. In the first act we see them as a functioning older couple, still working and balancing the needs of their family, whilst ignoring their own relationship. The pair had a wonderful rapport and a believability which encapsulated their underlying love for one another and also their disappointment in their offspring. In the second half, after being asked to accept so many of their children’s misdemeanours in life, mum Fran says, "It wasn’t meant to be like this. I thought they’d be like us. But better than us. Better versions of us.” Hemingway and Tomlinson demonstrated a clever reversal of status on stage and in their relationships with their family. The two performers portray this with a tender pathos and honesty which must have rung true with much of the audience. .
One thing I always find myself doing at the Altrincham Garrick theatre is reminding myself that this is not professional theatre. Any small misgivings I may have about their acting or the quality of production is always forgiven by the standard they achieve as an amateur theatre group. In my opinion, the Altrincham Garrick produce some of the most professional amateur productions Greater Manchester have on offer and I think that’s a pretty admirable position to be in! The cast of six had quite a tall order with this wordy script of 70 minutes act one and 50 minutes act two but I really did enjoy it.
Reviewer - Johanna Hassouna-Smith
on - 29/4/19
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