Review: I was in the house and I was waiting for the rain to come, Barons Court Theatre

Voila! Theatre Festival

Review: I was in the house and I was waiting for the rain to come, Barons Court Theatre

Summary

Rating

40

Ok

A hypnotic but ultimately distant exploration of trauma and absence, where committed performances struggle against an opaque script.

I’m drawn to plays that explore absences – the wounds left by lost people or opportunities. But with movement-heavy theatre, you either connect with its language or you don’t. In AKRO Theatre‘s production of Jean-Luc Lagarce‘s I was in the house and I was waiting for the rain to come, despite the evident dedication and skill of its performers, I found myself in the latter camp.

The story circles around a family awaiting their prodigal son’s return. Their anticipation, expectations, hopes and fears, built through years of absence and the associated trauma of his departure, crash against the reality of his arrival and apparent declining health. However, the narrative remains deliberately obscured behind layers of repeated phrases and stylised movements that often feel more distancing than revelatory.

Among the five-woman ensemble, certain moments pierce through the abstraction. Ella McCormack as The Eldest brings genuine pathos to her contemplation of moving forward, while Jemima Langdon captures an intriguing nervous energy as The Middle One, particularly in scenes exploring her character’s complex relationship with the unseen brother.

Despite the production’s overall opacity, some moments achieve remarkable clarity through their subtlety. When Agnes Halladay as The Youngest sits alone in a corner while others embrace, it speaks volumes about family dynamics without a word being uttered. These glimpses of emotional truth make the more abstract sequences all the more frustrating.

It’s worth noting that despite the all-female cast and significant female representation in the creative team, the narrative ultimately orbits around an absent male figure. Each character’s identity and emotional journey is fundamentally shaped by their relationship to this unseen son/brother. While this might be a deliberate comment on family dynamics, it creates an interesting tension between the production’s female-driven presentation and its male-centred narrative focus.

The production’s technical elements work to create a dreamlike atmosphere. Alex Wrathall‘s quiet, almost hypnotic music accompanies the performers’ movements, while Maya Heritage‘s minimal set design reinforces the abstract nature of the piece. The overall effect is simultaneously mesmerising and, at times, tiring.

This distinctly French theatrical approach – prioritising atmosphere over narrative clarity – may resonate deeply with audiences who appreciate interpretative dance or experimental theatre. Those who find beauty in abstract movement and atmospheric performance will likely connect with its hypnotic quality. However, for viewers seeking narrative clarity, the script’s reliance on cyclical monologues and stylised movements often obscures rather than illuminates its emotional core. Despite the ensemble’s commitment, the production maintains an emotional distance that, for this reviewer at least, proved difficult to bridge.

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Cast: Ella McCormack, Effrosyni Kokkori, Deryl Thatcher, Jemima Langdon, Agnes Halladay

Translated and Directed by: Olivia Krauze & Aubin Ramon
Assistant Direction by: Aoife Pallister Begadon
Movement Direction by: Rufus Hunt
Set and Costume Design by: Maya Heritage
Music Design by: Alex Wrathall
Translated from a play by: Jean-Luc Lagarce

I was in the house and I was waiting for the rain to come plays at Baron’s Court Theatre until Sunday 24th November as part of the Voila! Theatre Festival. Further information and booking are available here.