“The Grapes of Wrath”: review(s) of performance at The Repertory Theatre in Birmingham
Reviews will be updated in this entry as they come.
“The English Touring Theatre’s production may not be to everyone’s taste. But it’s power and resonance cannot be denied.”
“There are also strong performances from Damian O’Hare as Tom Joad, on parole from prison for killing a man in a brawl and whose fight for justice for those around him puts his own safety in jeopardy; and Oliver Cotton as Jim Casy, the lapsed preacher who struggles to find a role for himself in society. In fact there are no weak links at all in the cast.”
REMOTEGOAT.CO.UK *****
“There are a number of strong and outstanding performances starting off with young Tom Joad the now paroled killer who clearly has an explosive character. Damian O’Hare plays the role with a building tension that you know is going to blow right about now.”
“Overall, the play was a powerful, well-directed performance that is arguably topical in the current financial climate.”
BIRMINGHAM POST ****
“But tellingly the first scene, the chance encounter on the road between Tom Joad, returning from jail, and Casey, the former preacher turned sceptic, has a focused intimacy (and a clarity of delivery from Damian O’Hare and Oliver Cotton that we don’t always experience in this theatre) which immediately gives a momentum to the narrative which is sustained throughout the first act.”
“This is an acting company to match the epic nature of the story and it’s uniformly strong.”
“This is not a play to be watched if you’re keen for a good laugh.It is a provocative, honest account of a family’s struggle to remain a family, and well worth seeing.”
“OK, so no-one expects John Steinbeck to be a bundle of laughs but the relentless nature of this adaptation of his epic Dust Bowl novel The Grapes of Wrath is enough to batter us all into the ground.”
AND LO AND BEHOLD – TWITTER
“Excellent performances from Cusack and Cotton in particular. Great cast – great show. (…) Excellent production of Grapes Of Wrath despite casts American accents ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous.” @simongreenwich
“The Grapes of Wrath at Birmingham Rep last night. Very good.” @DavidCalcutt
“Thought Grapes of Wrath at the Rep was marvelloos: Bleak, bleak, bleak, bleak, bleak.” @ZalieAn
“… good acting & prod, just felt it didn’t quite work – felt like a novel on stage. Loved the jalopody” @deccers
“It was a good play, but Metro review this morning didn’t like it… there’s no pleasing some people!” @cahmn
“… great productions (…) They raise the spirit.” @RodDungate
“great story, excellent production, ingenious set. Stunned silence from audience – brilliant!” – @spideytim
“V. depressing but good.”
“There was this really fit guy and he stripped all the way down to his boxers! Ahha.”
Damian O'Hare as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath.
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