Review: One Day When We Were Young, Park Theatre

In 2013 I was approaching the end of my degree, and just starting to dip my toes into the reviewing world on my blog. One of the first shows I reviewed was Nick Payne’s Constellations, and whilst I hope my writing has matured since then, the sentiment of it has lasted. I rushed out to buy the script, and pored over Payne’s remarkable storytelling. This is a long-winded way of saying that as soon as I saw that his 2011 play, One Day When We Were Young, was being staged at Park Theatre, I had to be there.

The play centres on Violet (Cassie Bradley) and Leonard (Barney White), over a span of 60 years. We first meet them in the middle of the Second World War, sharing a night together before Leonard goes away. We meet the couple two more times in their lives, once in the 1960s then again in the late 1990s, and whilst at times sentimental, the story is gut-wrenchingly beautiful and heartbreaking.

Bradley and White are remarkable to watch, and from my seat in the front row I felt uncomfortably involved in their story. Intimate scenes during their last night together are handled with surprising realism, yet James Haddrell’s direction ensures it’s both believable and tasteful.

Bradley is bewitching on stage, her emotions written so clearly on her face, and her eyes, seemingly filled with unshed tears, are deeply evocative. White just beautifully portrays the fear of a young man about to head off to war, vulnerability and desire battling across his features.

As the story develops, Bradley and White showcase their impeccable skills, even successfully showing Violet and Leonard in their old age. White’s interpretation of Leonard as an old man is particularly striking, with mannerisms and habits that are startlingly familiar. This only makes the emotional sucker punches that follow even more powerful. The play does at times tip into being a bit saccharine but the storytelling is utterly transfixing.

Payne’s writing shines, and his use of the piano throughout each scene is a beautiful device, from the promises of a young couple optimistically hoping they have a future together, to the cruel realities of old age. Payne doesn’t give us an easy ride, and the final line grabbed me by the heart and left me fighting back tears on the Tube home.

Park90 is a small studio space, yet Haddrell’s direction ensures every inch of the stage is used, with Pollyanna Elston’s design clearly evoking jumps in time. The transformation of the stage between the Second World War and the 1960s is particularly effective. Music of the time brings us into the period, while shifting wall panels and a bed made up of benches, tables and boxes are pulled apart to transport us to a snowy day in a park. It’s a really well conceived and cleverly executed way to change the scene.

Whilst some may find the story a little indulgent and even corny, it’s clear that for many of us in the audience it hit the spot. Violet and Leonard are such likeable characters, that you can’t help but root for them throughout the challenges of their lives. Within the first few minutes I loved them, making the unfolding drama of their lives even more emotional. And whilst this is, at times, a desperately sad play, it will also make you laugh. Payne once again impeccably brings the human experience to the stage, with poise and emotional gut punches aplenty.

Written by Nick Payne
Directed by James Haddrell
Designed by Pollyanna Elston
Produced by Greenwich Theatre in association with Park Theatre

One Day When We Were Young is at the Park Theatre until Saturday 22 March.