Review: Home at Seven (Theatre At The Tabard)

Review by Josh Powell

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A new production of R. C. Sherriff’s Home at Seven has been created to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of his death. Perhaps most famous for the WWI play Journey’s End, this murder mystery focuses on David Preston (Sam Ellis), who suffers from a day of amnesia—he arrives Home at seven on Tuesday, to find his wife has been wondering where he has been, since she was expecting him Home at seven the previous day. To make matters worse, it shortly becomes clear that several suspicious things have been happening, which cast doubt on David’s story and potentially incriminate him in a murder.

From the moment the lights fall on the stage, we are fully immersed in the era. The set design by David Fitzhugh and costume design by Jan Huckle are deeply evocative of the era, so much so that I almost expected it to be in black and white. Everything works to place us in the time, with the background music, set dressing, and the accents, particularly the classical Received Pronunciation BBC voice. A particularly interesting piece of the set is the telephone, which is the actual phone from R C Sherriff’s estate.

The fantastic cast all feel like they have been playing this part forever, and we’re just watching episode 439 of a long-running murder mystery programme. The chemistry between each of the pairs on stage is unique and, at times, deeply funny. A particular highlight is between the smart-talking Doctor (Andrew Williams) and the blustering old Major (Karl Moffat). Another excellent character moment comes from the lawyer (Jeremy Todd), who takes a great amount of time explaining to David that really spending a lot of money on a lawyer is the best way to prove one’s innocence.

The cast all manage to be comedic at times, and dramatic at others, but the funniest scenes involve those with the policeman, played by Greg Fitch. Not only fantastically funny himself, he brings out the humour in the other characters. As for drama, the very end relief from David himself is palpable. A special mention has to go to Bridget Lambert as the absolute star of the show in her role of Mrs. Preston. She doesn’t have the most lines, and doesn’t even get the honour of having a first name. Though she is often in the background, the physical acting and reacting of Lambert as the rest of the play goes on around her is simply sublime, from evil glances at the lawyer or deep concern to the doctor, her performance really helps support the immersion that makes this play great.

Similarly impressive is the direction from Claire Evans, greatly contributing to how well each scene gets its point across quickly. Though it might not be a long play, running at just under two hours, that works to its credit as there’s not a moment of wasted time on stage, and each moment is meaningful.

Home at Seven has a mysterious energy to it, and the variation of dramatic and funny interactions between the main cast are among its strongest elements. However, the plot itself is a bit flimsy, letting itself down with an ending that gets all too quickly wrapped up upon the arrival of a new, previously unseen character. I won’t spoil the ending, but to me, it felt all too anticlimactic for my liking.

Home at Seven effortlessly manages to place us in the 1950s to get the sense as if we are in the living room of this poor man and his troubles ourselves. Though it has its strengths and weaknesses, overall, the on-stage talent and excellent direction are what bring the play to life, and make the experience all the more enjoyable.

Home At Seven is at the Tabard Theatre until 20th September before going on tour. Tickets from https://tabard.org.uk/whats-on/home-at-seven/

Photos by Yuchu Zhao