Review: Grace Pervades, Theatre Royal Haymarket

One of the first and most striking elements of Grace Pervades is Fotini Dimou‘s impeccable costume design. In the initial minutes of the show, Miranda Raison, as Ellen Terry, goes through a series of seamless onstage quick changes that exhibit the costumes for some of the actress’s most stunning roles, including a replica of the green beetle wing gown in John Singer Sargent’s infamous painting of Terry as Lady Macbeth. This moment, alongside an abridged section of Lady Macbeth’s “take my milk for gall” speech, provides a visually arresting and thematically apt introduction into the play as an overview of modern theatre history.

Jeremy Herrin’s sharp direction cultivates an enduring comedic energy from the beginning, with Raison and Ralph Fiennes, as Henry Irving, able to capitalise perfectly on awkwardness in the script to great effect. 

One of the greatest triumphs of the writing is Raison’s transporting speech about the feelings of the real and the authentic when acting: “I am away, but I am home. I am the same person… [on and off stage]”. Raison is superbly captivating; here, laying bare the devotion to the stage that is woven into the most essential fabric of this production.

However, the script proves onerous to the production’s rhythmic fluency in some places, both in the greater structure and more specific emotional exchange. Sections where Terry’s children stand at the front of the stage and narrate outwards are overused, leaving a feeling that there is a general lack of trust in the audience, especially when most of the weighty information is repeated in the scenes themselves, or else is easily deducible from context. And, at some points, an imposing shadow of accurate Victorian sensibility obstructs an authentic emotional anchoring in verbal exchange that leaves some moments between characters feeling slightly unsatisfying. 

The set design relies heavily on projected elements for versatility, but where designer Bob Crowley truly shines is his realisation of Edward Gordon Craig’s seminal production of Hamlet in Russia. Brutalist white blocks and matching thrones bring European mid-century theatre design to life in a starkly beautiful tableau, completed by Gertrude and Claudius robed in gold. 

The scenes which detail Edith Craig’s life in Kent are a peaceful respite, where the elevated stakes of high art fall away, and instead the narrative focuses on three queer women painting, writing and running a small theatre in Terry’s garden. Craig, portrayed by Ruby Ashbourne Serkis, and her companions, portrayed by Kathryn Wilder and Maggie Service, exhibit a compelling and profoundly comforting view of perennial queerness, the three actresses together cultivating real emotional fluency and a sense of deep connection between them. 

The acting across the board is superb, including from, of course, the famously talented Fiennes. And, aside from textual issues that stunt flow in some places, this production is well rounded and a joy to watch for any dedicated theatre enthusiast. 

Written by David Hare 
Directed by Jeremy Herrin
Costume Design by Fotini Dimou
Set Design by Bob Crowley 
Lighting Design by Peter Mumford 
Sound Design by Elizabeth Purnell
Video Design by Akhila Krishnan 
Composed by Paul Englishby
Hair and Makeup Design by Susanna Perez
Movement Directed by Lucy Cullingford 
Associate Directed by Joe Lichtenstein 

Grace Pervades plays at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until Saturday 11 July.