STUDENT THEATRE REVIEW: Husbands And Sons - The Grosvenor East Theatre, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester.

'Husbands And Sons' (in a stage adaptation by Ben Power) was the latest play chosen by Manchester School Of Theatre for their final year students to tackle. It isn't an easy play by anyone's standards, and that is perhaps, at least in part, because it isn't actually a play at all. What we have, in effect, is a blending of three short stories by D H Lawrence [A Collier's Friday Night, The Daughter-In-Law, and The Widowing Of Mrs. Holroyd] which all are set in Lawrence's  Nottinghamshire in the early 20th century, and all involve workers at the local colliery. More than this however, the limit to how these three stories and families can intertwine is somewhat limited and despite Power trying to make a cohesive whole out of them, they still remain three separate storylines and thus the scenes are more like vignettes and one story diffuses the other, whilst the story of poor Mrs. Holroyd, seemed to be given the least importance until right at the end. And there lies the second rub; by incorporating three stories (no matter how condensed the storylines), the play drags. At three hours (including interval), it's a hard watch for the audience, and it takes some sustaining from the sterling student cast too.

Costuming throughout was just about as authentic as it could have been, as well as an in-the-round set displaying three separate houses, sparsely, but authentically furnished. The lighting design was intentionally dim, as the houses were lit by gas lamps and candles throughout, although, there were times when it was simply too dark and we were watching silhouettes rather than actors, and we never truly got the warm yellow glow of tallow. Sound levels also needed a little tweeking this afternoon, as sadly, those in the house furthest from me were a little too quiet at times, and consideration was needed from most when audience were at their backs (as indeed they were constantly). What made this all the more difficult was the decision to try and replicate as near as possible, the authentic Nottinghamshire dialect and accent of the period. 

The directing by Sean Aydon was solid and secure; trying hard to bring some togetherness and linkage to these three disparate stories. There is little in terms of humour or relief within the text, and these characters have little to smile about, but Aydon found some lovely lighter moments and these juxtaposed well with the more tragic scenes which ultimately followed. The acting was solid and strong across the board, and all had obviously researched these characters and the milieu of Lawrence and his oeuvre in order to portray them so realistically. 

A difficult play, but an understandable choice for final year students on this course, and it was sensibly and sensitively realised, even if I was getting a little restless towards the end. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 3.2.23