08 Feb 2024
It seems Deborah Heath can’t get away from Dungeons and Dragons with Breakaway’s latest production…
The St Albans Theatre scene is positively abuzz with Dungeons and Dragons at the moment. On the weekend of 2-4t February you could choose between ‘She Kills Monsters’ at the Abbey Theatre (Company of Ten) and ‘Wildest Dreams’ from Breakaway Theatre Co – a lesser known Alan Ayckbourn play structured around a D&D game. It was great to see two very different pieces of theatre arising from the same themes, both successful in their own right.
Alan Ayckbourn, the king of relationship comedy, is reportedly a great gamer himself and through ‘Wildest Dreams’ we can see him exploring the concept of escapism. For in entering the realm of a role playing game (it was not explicitly D&D) it is a great opportunity to be someone you aren’t.
His main game-players, middle aged childless couple Hazel and Stanley, Stanley’s pupil Wesley and ex-pupil Rick are an unlikely group of friends. All four are misfits, united by the common desire to enter a fantasy world for a couple of hours and get away from the disappointments of their real lives. Their routine is disrupted when young, sexy Marcie breezes into their world and begins to take control. It’s a really exciting set up and I quite understand why director Lesley Cowland chose the play.
I am a great Ayckbourn fan and am always fascinated to see his lesser performed plays – something Breakaway are not shy to deliver and I thank them for that. A few years ago they gave us ‘A Brief History of Women’ which was a real gem. ‘Wildest Dreams’ is very ambitious and I love the set-up but it is certainly not his funniest script. Now, if you are expecting a good old Ayckbourn romp, admittedly often with dark undertones, this play might leave you feeling a bit lost. If you are ready for a bit more of a challenge, you will be delighted!
I do take slight issue with the creation of character Marcie, who ends up controlling not only the characters in the D&D game but their real-life personas too. The problem for me is that her motivation really isn’t very clear. Is she a nice person who is genuinely unaware of how she is manipulating the other characters or is she simply a rich, evil woman out for what she can get? This ambiguity makes it extremely difficult for a director and actor to work with the script. However, I must applaud Zara Radford for her excellent vocal skills, confidence and her mesmerising presence on stage.
Malcolm Coakley as Stanley was a strong lead and Elaine Hartless as Hazel, demonstrated some brilliant physical characterisation as Hazel regressed into babyhood to escape from the chaos around her.
Jeff Best as pedantic brother-in-law Austen was perfectly funny and horrid. Nazim Uddin played the role of Larry more as a psychological than the physical abuser as I would have expected, but displayed great talent nonetheless.
A shout out too for Ruth Ling who commanded a small role with humour and pathos.
For me, there are two actors who particularly shine in this play.
Young newcomer Joseph Smyth who should have a great career ahead of him, played teenager Warren with intensity and great comic timing. I totally believed his conviction that he was turning into an alien! With quiet confidence and superb stage presence, Clare Waller commanded the role of abuse victim Rick with sensitivity and power. She was an absolute joy to watch throughout – well done!
On a final note, I must say how I really admire Breakaway’s continuing practice of using set and prop items from our local Emmaus branch. It promotes re-using and recycling and puts this marvellous charity (who give shelter and meaningful work to those experiencing homelessness) more in the public eye.
‘Wildest Dreams’ really is a fascinating play with some great individual performances so please do consider catching the last half of their run.
