OLD FOOLS – Frances Grey (Viv) Mark Arends (Tom) Photo Nat James Photography
Remember in school being taught that “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”? Although this is Newton’s third law of physics, I believe that, in reality, it is applied in many walks of life. For example, it often feels that as soon as something positive happens in my life, then along comes a big fat negative to even it out. The effects of this law certainly apply to the couple in Tristan Bernay’s play Old Fools at Southwark Playhouse.
Old Fools is the story of Tom (Mark Arends) and Viv (Frances Grey) and their lives together from their first meeting until final parting. Theirs is a pretty ordinary tale really. They meet, fall in love, get married, have a child and after a lifetime of unforgettable experiences, look set to spend their twilight days together watching the sunset. Just a normal life you might think. And so it is. Like all couples, they have their ups and downs but stay together through the good times and the bad. And then their normal lives are shattered as the spectre of Alzheimer’s raises its unwelcome head.
In Old Fools, Tristan Bernays has penned a heartwarming and heartbreaking sixty-minute play that elicits every emotion possible and then goes on to wring some more out of you before it ends. As far as I’m aware, there has never been a case of Alzheimer’s in my family but, every time my mind wanders and I forget a commonly used word for a period of time, I feel a shiver of fear that maybe I will be the first to suffer from it. Tristan’s play did nothing to allay my fears. Both characters are so warm, likable and human that when it does strike you can’t help but ask why? There have been a lot of plays covering this subject but, apart from Jack Woolley in the Archer’s, I don’t think I’ve been so moved by a story of Alzheimer’s, especially as the story pulls no punches and you see its devastating effect from the point of view of the sufferer and their partner.
The show is a series of events in Tom and Viv’s lives together but told in a non-linear fashion. Performed in the round with no set apart from a piano stool, the entire weight of the play depends on the actors backed up with some very effective lighting (Peter Small) and sound (Christopher Ash & Pattrick Ball) under the skillful direction of Sharon Burrell who links the scenes together seamlessly.
The actors themselves are, to put it mildly, pretty darned amazing. Their relationship from start to finish is really believable. Mark and Frances have a great rapport and chemistry that really is a pleasure to see. You can easily understand why the two characters fell in love and how their love survives the trials and tribulations of life together. They both have to work exceptionally hard at not just being Tom and Viv but also other characters and of course the patient and carer.
Old Fools is a truly amazing play that has a fascinating, highly emotional story to tell and does so with style and panache. The subject matter is skillfully handled. Like the rest of the audience, I was totally hooked and together we laughed and cried as we followed Tom and Viv’s story to its end. The show is only on until the 7th April so I would advise you to get a ticket asap – if you still can!
Review by Terry Eastham for www.LondonTheatre1.com
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