Sandy Pritchard-Gordon

Sandy Pritchard-Gordon
Theatre Blog

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Versailles at The Donmar


Show don’t tell is the mantra for any type of story telling but, unfortunately Peter Gill hasn’t adhered to this in his latest play, Versailles, currently showing at The Donmar.  It’s not that he’s delivered a bad play, only one that is too lengthy.  Lengthy in running time (a marathon three hours) and full of lengthy, rather lecturing monologues. 

The subject matter is interesting, dealing as it does with the aftermath of World War I and The Treaty of Versailles.  It centres round the Rawlinsons, a middle class family living in Kent, whose son, Leonard, is a member of the British delegation to Paris.  Each member of this family, their friends and neighbours have their views on what the War meant and will mean in the future.  The only problem is that most of them (the men in particular) expound these views in such a hectoring fashion that I, for one, was constantly switching off.  This, coupled with very little action, makes it a very long three hours.

For such a naturalistic play, it is strange that Mr. Gill brings Leonard’s sexual preferences to our attention by including a ghost in full military kit into the proceedings.  The ghost in question is Gerald Chater, one of the many young soldiers who didn’t return after The Great War and who was Leonard’s boyfriend.  Despite this relationship, their conversations together, which presumably take place in Leonard’s head, are stilted and full of suppressed emotion.

There are some excellent performances from the large cast and the set and costumes set the scene to perfection.  It is also not without some amusing lines, most of them spoken by the splendid, Barbara Flynn as the non P.C. Marjorie Chater.  A rather more sympathetic character is Edith Rawlison, excellently brought to life by Fracesca Annis.  She portrays to perfection a bossy mother, wanting to avoid any unpleasantness.  Another character keeping his emotions under wraps is Hugh Skidmore, very well played by Josh O’Connor.   Despite his Rattigan-like clipped, upper-class voice, Hugh, in this young actor’s capable hands, is imbued with a touching sincerity.  One of his most memorable lines is, “I find it necessary to be with someone who’s heard a shell explode”.

However the most moving scene in the play is when the totally believable Christopher Godwin as Gerald Chater breaks down during a tea time visit to the Rawlinson’s in Act Three.  It is quite apparent that he will never get over the death of his soldier son, Gerald.  What a pity his character appears so briefly.

Versailles promises much, being written and directed by Peter Gill, but for me it proves to be a disappointment.    


"Show, don’t tell" is the mantra for any type of story telling but, unfortunately Peter Gill hasn’t adhered to this in his latest play, Versailles, currently showing at The Donmar.  It’s not that he’s delivered a bad play...just one that is too lengthy.  Lengthy in running time (a marathon three hours) and full of lengthy, rather lecturing monologues. 

The subject matter is interesting, dealing as it does with the aftermath of World War I and The Treaty of Versailles.  It centres round the Rawlinsons, a middle class family living in Kent, whose son, Leonard, is a member of the British delegation to Paris.  Each member of this family, their friends and neighbours have their views on what the War meant and will mean in the future.  The only problem is that most of them (the men in particular) expound these views in such a hectoring fashion that I, for one, was constantly switching off.  This, coupled with very little action, makes it a very long three hours.

For such a naturalistic play, it is strange that Mr. Gill brings Leonard’s sexual preferences to our attention by including a ghost in full military kit into the proceedings.  The ghost in question is Gerald Chater, one of the many young soldiers who didn’t return after The Great War and who was Leonard’s boyfriend.  Despite this relationship, their conversations together, which presumably take place in Leonard’s head, are stilted and full of suppressed emotion.

There are some excellent performances from the large cast and the set and costumes set the scene to perfection.  It is also not without some amusing lines, most of them spoken by the splendid, Barbara Flynn as the non P.C. Marjorie Chater.  A rather more sympathetic character is Edith Rawlison, excellently brought to life by Francesca Annis.  She portrays to perfection a bossy mother, wanting to avoid any unpleasantness.  Another character keeping his emotions under wraps is Hugh Skidmore, very well played by Josh O’Connor.   Despite his Rattigan-like clipped, upper-class voice, Hugh, in this young actor’s capable hands, is imbued with a touching sincerity.  One of his most memorable lines is, “I find it necessary to be with someone who’s heard a shell explode”.

However the most moving scene in the play is when the totally believable Christopher Godwin as Gerald Chater breaks down during a tea time visit to the Rawlinson’s in Act Three.  It is quite apparent that he will never get over the death of his soldier son, Gerald.  What a pity his character appears so briefly.

Versailles promises much, being written and directed by Peter Gill, but for me it proves to be a disappointment.