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Stephen Joseph theatre, ScarboroughThe prolific playwright is on fine form with an uncanny story that smartly contrasts national crises past and present
Domestic life was quiet during lockdown but the few things that did happen had an edge of the surreal. Early in the pandemic someone dug a trench in my neighbour’s shared garden. We never found out who or why. And does anyone remember the great yeast shortage?
With this in mind, the premise of Alan Ayckbourn’s 85th full-length play is entirely plausible. It’s the height of the pandemic and when Rob, an out-of-work actor, looks over the garden hedge, he sees Lily, a 1940s mother of two whose husband is serving in North Africa. In a clever and playful script, the 82-year-old dramatist juxtaposes the rationing and blackouts of wartime London with the Zoom calls and social distancing of today. Continue reading...