This early Rattigan play (1939) bears all of his usual unrequited love, broken hearts, laughter and tears. The story is briefly, that of David Scott-Fowler a wealthy would-be writer and his wife Joan. They were bright young things but are no longer young or very bright thanks to the amount of late night and all day drinking they do. Their home is also occupied by John Reid, one of David"s oldest school friends, who basically lives off them, fulfilling a sort of court jester role; and by Peter Scott-Fowler, David"s recent Oxford graduate secretary and we later discover, his ward. There is also the butler, Williams, and many visitors, usually after the free booze but also Peter"s girlfriend Helen, although he thinks of them as engaged if only he could earn enough money in this pre-war depression.

We first meet Helen when she brings her brother, the newly qualified Doctor Banner played by Dean Brown to examine David as he has been having pains in his side and refuses to see someone. The diagnoses is what every one suspects but dares not name; David has advanced stages of cirrhosis of the liver and must quit drinking if he wishes to live much longer. It turns out Helen and David are secretly in love but thinking Joan doesn"t really love him and it"s all been a game, Helen tells her quite coldly and later during their party that evening she catches them together. Soon after, Joan jumps off the balcony. Three months later, David is still not drinking, Peter is flailing and asks for money but refuses the job David could arrange for him. John is moving to Manchester to take a job, something he still cannot believe he is about to do. He makes David see that Helen is not that different from the Joan he married and that what he loves about her will surely change and die and she will become the same as Joan in order to hold onto his love and survive with him. The play ends with David telling Peter to meet with Helen at a party, calling a friend to keep them both there until they can meet and pouring himself his first drink in months.

There are a number of small roles, mostly seen at the party. Ruth Anthony was quite the chameleon as both Moya Lexington and Miss Potter. With Peter Novis as Lawrence Walters and Dan Clegg as Cyril Carter, they were all very apt at filling out the scene of elderly bright young things and those new ones slightly out of their depth. Tom Tillery as Williams was a reliable delight as ever; perfect timing with just the right amount of concealed contempt, humour and servility. Amongst these smaller roles I must point out Jonathan Norris as Arthur Power who was once engaged to Joan. He sadly watches the beautiful, smiling, empty shell of the woman he once or perhaps still loves and says what we and the author are thinking; that these people have not grown up or moved on and have achieved nothing "after the dance" of their youth. It is he that offers John a job in Manchester and gives him his perhaps unwelcome escape. It was a lovely, thoughtful and still moment in a whirl of hectic frivolity.

Phillipa Tatham as Julia Browne, an early day cougar, constantly in and out with gossip and a laugh, glass held out for a top-up, was at exactly the right frivolous pitch and tone for the period. George Turner and Amy Harrison as Peter and Helen looked and sounded perfect; both young, beautiful and earnest, wishing to and believing they could, change the world and those around them. He especially, pitched the puppy-like pain just right but I would have liked to have seen a little more calculation or perhaps embarrassment in Helen, as I didn"t quite believe she could switch from Peter to David quite so easily. The ease with which she managed some of her changes made her seem colder and less intelligent than I believe the character is. But this is nit-picking on my part and is perhaps one of the slight flaws in the script.

And now for the heart of the play. Lisa Castle as Joan gorgeously evoked the period perfectly. Her smile was just the right amount of "too bright" and slightly hollow. Newcomer Joel Cottrell as John also suited the era and the disreputable behaviour and attitude. He got the first laugh of the night by being asleep on the sofa under the dust sheets and this audience was not quick or quiet in coming in - very brave! I do hope he sticks around as this actor was extremely watchable and could switch from sarcastic to serious on the flip of a coin and a knife's edge.

And last but certainly not least; Dom Ward as David brought in the most centred and non-showy performance I have seen him give. It would have been very easy to play the role as flamboyant and Noel Coward-ish but he didn"t take this comfortable route. If this was down to the director then well done but I suspect the actor took any hints to go this way with a growing ease. His David was almost quiet and retrospective, especially as he soberly watched the alcohol fuelled mayhem around him which he had been a part of until recently. The pain he showed as he realised how he had hurt those he cared about and was about to even more-so but finally for the correct reasons, was extremely moving, especially as he made the decision to take that suicidal drink at the end of the play.

The set by Michael Bettell was absolutely lovely and fully evoked all of the excess and grandeur of this "set" and "age". It would have been good anywhere, but on the tiny Gatehouse stage it was astounding. There was more furniture on that stage than I could ever have thought possible including a working(!) piano and yet it did not seem crowded.

Costumes were by Jessica Hammett who also Assistant Directed and played a party guest. They were on the whole very well done, especially within the confines of the Tower wardrobe, modern sizes and budgets. However I felt some small details were missing; for example, none of the women were wearing seamed stockings or had even "drawn on" a seam and several entered without wearing a hat which no woman did at the time.

I must say the opening night crowd was fully appreciative and I saw no opening night awkward moves or prop/set issues or even nerves. So well done to Dan Usztan in his Tower directorial debut. I know the actors were working 'full on', so he obviously aroused a feeling of camaraderie and pride throughout the cast. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and well done all.

Photography by David Sprecher