Review: Vincent in Brixton (Orange Tree Theatre)

Review by Ruth Sealey

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vincent may have been in Brixton, but I was firmly in Richmond, making my first visit to the Orange Tree Theatre. Known for its consistently high-calibre programming, it was intriguing to see whether the theatre could live up to its reputation with a play centred on such a widely recognised, yet little-understood figure.  I fall squarely into that category myself: familiar with ‘Sunflowers’ and ‘The Starry Night’, but with only a surface-level understanding of the man behind them. What becomes clear is just how much there is to unravel. This production offers only a small glimpse into Vincent van Gogh’s life, charting a journey that shifts from the giddy heights of love to the painful fracturing of relationships.

Vincent in Brixton explores the period Van Gogh spent living in Brixton in 1873, focusing on the relationships he forms within the boarding house of his landlady, Ursula, and her daughter, Eugenie. Arriving in London, Vincent encounters Eugenie and is almost instantly besotted, a pattern of intense, immediate attachment that seems to echo throughout his short life. Taking a room in Ursula’s house, he attempts to win Eugenie’s affection, only to find she is already involved with fellow lodger, Sam Plowman. Meanwhile, Ursula, who is still enveloped in grief fifteen years after her husband’s death, finds her world unexpectedly stirred by Vincent’s chaotic presence, which brings with it a renewed sense of vitality. As Vincent realises that Eugenie is beyond his reach, the play unfolds into a delicate exploration of grief and who we love.

The Olivier Award-winning play, written in 2002 by Nicholas Wright, captures an extraordinary range of emotion with remarkable delicacy. His writing moves deftly between humour and heartbreak, often giving the audience little time to catch their breath, with laughter quickly giving way to discomfort, as we begin to question whether we should have been laughing at all. This is felt acutely in Vincent’s social awkwardness, which sits uneasily alongside the ever-present shadow of grief that hangs over the house and within which Ursula, in many ways, remains trapped. It is this constant shifting of perspective and the audience’s evolving, sometimes conflicting feelings towards the characters that makes the piece so absorbing and it is a quality Wright delivers here with absolute assurance.

Director Georgia Green takes Nicholas Wright’s writing and truly breathes life into it. Of particular note is the striking contrast between the two acts: the shift in atmosphere is both immediate and affecting. Green carefully allows the undertones of grief to flow gently through the first act, before amplifying them with precision and intensity in the second. As Ursula reflects, “It’s black, and it’s bright. Like the stars in the sky,” a line that captures the play’s sense of contrast and conflict that is expertly realised in Green’s direction. The movement around the stage, the authenticity of the relationships, and the emotional truth within each character all combine to create something genuinely captivating.

The cast elevates both Wright’s writing and Green’s direction to an entirely new level. Niamh Cusack is exceptional as Ursula, and watching her navigate grief, pursue what she believes is love, and confront its aftermath is as compelling as it is heartrending. Cusack effortlessly embodies the roles of mother, grieving wife, and lover, transitioning between them with remarkable ease. Jeroen Frank Kales is equally impressive, and his physicality and endearing awkwardness immediately captivate the audience, while his comic timing adds charm and depth to the character. Together, Cusack and Kales form a magnetic stage partnership, and the rise and fall of their relationship is both moving and deeply human, capturing the fragility, joy, and pain of connection. 

There is the potential for a pairing as strong as Cusack and Kales to overshadow the rest of the cast, yet Rawaed Asde, Amber Van Der Brugge, and Ayesha Ostler more than hold their own, creating a powerhouse ensemble. Sam is given a grounded presence by Asde, who balances strength and vulnerability as he navigates the tension between ambition and family life. Bursting onto the stage in the second act, Van Der Brugge brings infectious energy, with her impeccable deadpan timing and physical precision making Anna’s confusion around the dynamics in the house both immediate and striking. Ostler provides a calm, measured centre as Eugenie, bringing clarity to a character caught between observation and action; her performance subtly transforms Eugenie from a passive presence to a more vital role in the unfolding drama.

Charlotte Henery’s set design is incredible, with every corner of the space utilised to recreate the parlour in the boarding house. Washing hangs from drying racks above the circle, with some areas subtly stained with smoke from the ever-present oven, and the parlour dresser and Belfast sink are dressed with exquisite attention to detail, which draws the audience into the very heart of the home. Being surrounded by such vivid visuals and the accompanying smells makes the experience wholly immersive. In the second act, the atmosphere becomes more oppressive and sombre and small details, such as having to squeeze past a pram in the narrow ‘hallway’, heighten the sense of confinement and unease. Lucía Sánchez Roldán’s lighting design works in perfect harmony with the set, transitioning from the bright, bustling warmth of the first act to a much darker, more subdued mood in the second.

There is so much to enjoy within this play and within this venue – a setting where an audience feels immersed in a production and where the writing, direction and acting combine to create an absorbing, moving and dramatic piece of theatre. Vincent in Brixton asks questions about love that an audience may ponder and struggle to answer - who we fall for, how much control we truly have over our emotions, and the ways love can be both exhilarating and heartbreakingly complicated. As Sam rightly observes, “Art is the rightful property of the working man,” and, in this production, the Orange Tree Theatre absolutely lives up to that ideal, bringing art to the people through a thoughtful, sensitive portrayal of a man who was unmistakably more than just an artist.

Vincent In Brixton plays at Orange Tree Theatre until 18^th April. Tickets from https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/vincent-in-brixton/

Photos by Johan Persson