02 Mar 2026
Company of Ten perform Richard Bean’s comedy at the Abbey Theatre – and Deborah Heath was there…
Theatre goers of St Albans, forgive me for starting with a rant. When you enter an auditorium, please, please, please put your phone on silent! In this delightful production by Company of Ten, a total of four chimes attempted to spoil the evening.
As an actor myself, I cannot emphasise enough how distracting this is for the cast and tech. crew, not to mention the audience and wish to extent my congratulations to the company for continuing regardless. Right, I’ve said my piece, let’s now explore why this show is worthy of your full attention.
This family-relationship comedy by Richard Bean was first staged at the Hampstead Theatre in 2023. Exploring the very delicate issue of parents aging in the modern world and the effect it has on their children, it manages to be funny without ever being disrespectful and sad without being melodramatic.
Director Andy Mills explains: “As parents age, roles gradually shift and adult children often find themselves balancing respect for independence with concern for safety and wellbeing.”
This is a semi-autobiographical piece based on Richard Bean’s relationship with his own parents and set in Wet Wang, an actual village near his native Hull. There are themes to appeal to a wide-ranging audience including the divide between generations, UK regional differences and upwardly mobile versus those who proudly remain in the same working class town all their lives. I believe this is the first amateur production of ‘To Have and To Hold’ and Richard Bean couldn’t have entrusted it to a safer pair of hands than Company of Ten.
Set design (Judith Goodman) and construction (Paul Davidson and team) is superb.
The stage boasts a thoroughly believable front room for a couple in their 90s with fine touches such as the net curtains, lower third wall paper pattern and serving hatch. There is one wonderful technical prop that I urge you to look out for although I won’t spoil the surprise here! Katherine Reeve’s wardrobe design is also spot on.
Flo’s house coat is functional and simple and in contrast, Tina’s London clothes, stylish and well accessorised. Sound (Ian Crawford) too is excellent with the car sounds even coming from the correct side of the stage. Lighting (Vaughan Harper) is perfectly understated and I loved the blue light bouncing off Jack’s face, representing the TV. I also applaud the props team for sourcing rhubarb in February and a clockwork policeman!
Director Andy Mills has selected a team of six outstanding character actors and brings Richard Bean’s script to life in a way that you couldn’t imagine anyone else in the roles.
For me, a play can be ruined if I do not believe in the central couple but there is no such trouble here with Beverley Robley (Flo) and Iain Pritchard (Jack)
mastering the back-and-forth banter only possible between those who have been married for 70 years. There is a real tenderness between them which undercut any moments of irritation and reminded me of my own grandparents.
Son, Rob, is played by Dan Clucas with a strong stage presence and daughter Tina, Abbe Waghorn with exactly the right balance of kindness and frightening efficiency. They are supported by Pete McEntee as Rhubarb Eddie who never lets this comic-relief character sink into archetype by giving him depth and warmth.
Hayley Morson played cousin Pam with great skill – this is a very interesting role that could have seemed trivial in lesser hands.
This production has been expertly realised by Company of Ten with a professional level of stage presentation and acting. Richard Bean’s touching script is well plotted with fully rounded characters, funny lines and moments of visual humour. Highlights for me were the fly-swotting moment, well timed serving hatch openings and relentless front door traumas. I do feel that the text could be elevated even further by being a little tighter – it is a long play for its gentle style.
Elements like Jack’s reminiscences were undeniably important to character and plot, but due to their length and stillness, it was hard to fully engage with them, although this is no reflection on Iain Pritchard’s superb characterisation.
The auditorium was well-deservedly packed when I attended and included the author himself. I encourage you to quickly buy a ticket for the second week of this run. If you have ever been married, had a parent, a child or struggled to find your front door key, then you can be sure of a play you can relate to. Another high point in Company of Ten’s current season. Huge congratulations to the team who made it possible.
Playwright Richard Bean was in the Abbey Theatre audience on Saturday night to see the Company of Ten’s production of his latest play – To Have and To Hold.
This was the first amateur production following successful runs at the Hampstead and Hull Truck Theatres and he was keen to see what the CoT made of it.
After the performance, he and his wife Sonia expressed themselves delighted with the show and were very impressed by the theatre and its facilities. They were also extremely impressed by the set design and the attention to detail.
In congratulating each member of the cast, along with director Andy Mills and the rest of the team, Richard – probably best known as the author of One Man Two Guvnors – explained that much of the play is based on his own family in East Yorkshire. He was extremely complimentary about the portrayal of each of the characters, especially the central couple, Jack and Florence, who he admitted were based on his own parents.
