One Day When We Were Young, which is written by Nick Payne and directed by James Haddrell, is a beautiful and thoughtful exploration of the relationship between Violet (Cassie Bradley) and Leonard (Barney White) as the war rages on around them. The play follows Violet and Leonard as young lovers before the Leonard leaves for the war, and the aftermath of his prolonged absence, spanning nearly fifty decades of their lives.
The play opens with young Violet and Leonard spending their last night together before Leonard leaves for the war. Each disclosing their fears for the future, not merely of their own but that of their future together, in a bittersweet and haunting scene that hangs over the rest of the play. The two reunite twice more with substantial passages of time between, presenting the audience with two fractured yet recognisable older versions of the characters. Touched by the war on either side, Leonard fighting and Violet waiting, the two characters and their relationship has changed drastically, leading to more questions than answers as they try to piece together their past.
Payne's writing is as gorgeous as ever, as he so perfectly captures the essence of what it means to be human, in all of its vulnerability. Violet and Leonard feel alive, with their entire emotional journeys on display for the audiences to see. As the characters age, their choices, regrets, mistakes and yearning emboldens them, creating remarkable full fledged characters. Payne is no stranger to tugging at the heart strings with his emotion-driven stories, including the recent film We Live In Time starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, and One Day When We Were Young is another wonderful script.
However, the production doesn't quite feel as powerful or moving as the writing is, with the third and final scene dragging the play down. As Violet and Leonard reunite nearly sixty years from their first introduction, the characters have been slowed down by age, trauma and hints of dementia. Director Haddrel and Writer Payne, have accounted for this, with repeated questions, little patience and slower movement, and the two performers, White and Bradley, do an excellent job at portraying this. Yet the scene, feels endless as it's stunted with prolonged pauses of silence and little done to further the story. The play stalls at this scene, which is initially an intelligent creative choice as there's nothing left to be said or done and distance has come between the two, yet for an audience, this is hardly as riveting as the earlier scenes. The scene, initially very much appreciated as it were, takes up too long a segment in the short play, resulting in a feeling of endlessness.
This, however, is not a commentary on the two performers, Cassie Bradley and Barney White who both shine bright in the play. Bradley brings a rush of youthful innocence and romantic passion to Violet, which is heartbreaking stolen away by the war. Violet's emotions slip through the cracks in her later years, and reveal a completely different woman in the final scene, and Bradley conveys this change well. Barney White is wonderful, bringing the inner turmoil of fear, hope, love, betrayal, and anger to Leonard, allowing his emotions to get the better of him. As evasive as he is emotional, the external circumstances that surround his situation only add to his emotional burden, making him such a rich character. Both performers are believable at every age, with accurate mannerisms, helped only by quick costume changes and hair tied back.
The two person play benefits from the incredible creative team, that help create a very vivid world around their relationship. Pollyanna Elston has created a simple, yet smart set that allows for very impressive quick transitions by rotating the walls to create different rooms. The interior design feels appropriate of the time period, as is how the characters interact with the changing technology and available appliances. Aidan Good's sound design is important throughout, with its heavy impact during the bomb attack, yet it's the subtler moments of background sound of children in a park, or rain pattering down that come to stand out the most. As the only sound for nearly half the play, it fills the silences left by the characters, echoing their own regrets with calm rain. Henry Slater's lighting design is extraordinary, as a visualisation of the bomb attacks takes over the small theatre space. The light streams through the small window, as gentle moon light or as the fiery bomb attacks, in a moment that genuinely inflicted anxiety in the audience, accompanied by Good's rumbles. The bright lights attacks the audience, allowing them to feel as disorientated as the characters.
One Day When We Were Young has several excellent and stand out features, whether it be the creative design, the performances, the story or even the writing, yet it doesn't quite leave the emotional impact that it tries to. Regardless, it's a gorgeous piece of theatre with a heart breaking commentary on humanity especially during wartime.
One Day When We Were Young plays at Park Theatre until 22nd March.
★★★☆☆ (3*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Danny Kaan
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