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An interesting battle of wills and exploration of self-determinisation make Horne’s Descent a play that is well worth talking about afterwards.Summary
Rating
Good
There are certain themes that will always get my attention, including class, religion and the absolute classic, self-determination. What’s better than a play that will leave you pondering on such meaty topics? Nina Atesh‘s Horne’s Descent goes triple barrel blasting with all three woven in. Of course, just chucking themes around doesn’t mean they will work; they need to be carefully nurtured. There’s nothing worse than a play that thinks it is saying something but in fact is just all hot air.
Bringing the religion is Peter Horne (Alexander Hackett), a priest who tonight is visiting a lifelong friend, Albert (Magnus Gordon). And it’s Albert who beings the class; it’s abundantly clear he comes from very good stock don’t you know, clearly just waiting for daddy dearest to pop his clogs so he can inherit it all, including the lordship. It’s also obvious that, whilst now a man of the cloth and to be respected, Horne is from much more common stock, perhaps with a few skeletons in the closet, making their friendship just a little unusual.
Albert has invited Peter to visit him whilst he is staying with friend Etta (Cici Clarke) and her alluring niece, Mary (Bethany Slater), who Albert is rather taken by. The invitation is rather out of the blue as the pair have not seen each other for some time. And after a rather boisterous and amusing opening scene, it really doesn’t take long for things to hit rockier ground. After all, it’s called Horne’s Descent so it shouldn’t be any surprise this priest is going to have his faith and character fully tested.
The script is lively and does that wonderful thing of distracting you from where it is really leading. The power dynamics at play gloriously flip preconceptions on their head as we watch Peter become master whilst Albert becomes subservient, although again this is not quite as it may first seem. But what really makes it interesting is the constant presence of the two women, always poking the men in just the right – or maybe wrong – way to draw out the real characters beneath dog collar and posh accent. When Etta declares that “women have always been the enemy of the church” you really are left to consider exactly which way round that battle is!
There is, though, room for improvement. There are too many moments when it feels something has been missed, perhaps edited out in rehearsals. Little references feel out of place, things go unexplained, often going from A to C and completely bypassing B. And talking of rehearsal, Hackett could probably benefit from a little more, as his delivery is ever so slightly out of sync with the rest of the cast, leaving it jarring at times.
Old Red Lion feels a lovely fit, its tight space helping place us in the drawing room of a country home. Miranda Cattermole’s set and costumes assist greatly, taking us straight to the 1920s. The set is also nicely used to its full by director Chloe Cattin, keeping the action flowing well, with the chaise lounge cleverly placed to ensure it’s never in the way and yet fully utilised.
Atesh is quickly building an interesting body of work, with her eagerness to delve deep into the psyche and draw out our worse fears. Horne’s Descent is another that allows for plenty of discussion afterwards about class, religion, self-determination and even who we should have sympathies for. And for that it deserves plenty of praise.
Written by: Nina Atesh
Directed by: Chloe Cattin
Set and costume design by: Miranda Cattermole
Stage Managed by: Nathan Friend
Produced by: Pither Productions
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