Allelujah at The Bridge Theatre

A new play by Alan Bennett is always highly anticipated, especially when it’s directed by Nicholas Hytner.  And so it was with great expectations that I booked to see Allelujah at The Bridge Theatre.  Sadly, in this instance, the saying, “never expect”, is never more apt, as the great Mr. Bennett’s latest offering isn’t his best.

The play is set in a geriatric ward, although it often has the feel of an old people’s rest home, in an old style, cradle-to-grave Yorkshire hospital (the Beth) which is faced with closure.  It focuses on several of the elderly patients, Colin (Samuel Barnett), the son of wheelchair bound Joe (Jeff Rawle), Salter (Peter Forbes) the Chairman of the Hospital Trust and Sister Gilchrist (Deborah Findlay).  In order to try and keep the Beth alive, the self- important Salter is waging a sponsored campaign, which includes a two-man

documentary team filming the ward and those connected with it.

The main thrust of the play, apart from the threat of the hospital’s closure, is  its lack of beds and the need, as far as Nurse Pinkney (Nicola Hughes) is concerned to keep the patients’ “spirits up”, by getting them all to sing in her choir.  Add to this a dollop of concern about the lack of visitors, ‘If people love their parents, why do they put them away’ and the less than subtle nod to Brexit and the problem this is likely to cause immigrants like the excellent Dr. Valentine (Sacha Dhawan).  Bennett’s points hit home and we’re in no doubt as to his bugbears.  The trouble is that it isn’t until we get to the Second Act that some sort of plot emerges.  That’s not to say Allelujah isn’t rich with Bennett’s usual witty dialogue, often uttered by the aged patients, and the visuals, when the geriatrics mix their singing with a dance or three, is at times joyous.  I just wish the whole thing wasn’t quite so contrived.

Deborah Findlay is superb as the rather hard-nosed ward sister who has her own, albeit drastic, solution to the freeing up of beds.  She expertly shows how resigned this hard-working nurse has become to the constant daily chores of tending to the old, and only allows some warmth to shine through when tripping the light fantastic with Thatcher hater Joe.  Also doing a great job is Peter Forbes as the puffed-up canary, Salter, feathering his own nest in as officious manner as possible.  And let me not forget Jeff Rawle, Samuel Barnett and Sacha Dhawan, who all ensure their characters are anything but one dimensional.

Bob Crowley has designed a clever set of movable peach coloured walls portraying the various wards, corridors and nurse’s station.  He also extends the playwright’s humorous poke at modernism (William Wordsworth ward is now named Joan Collins) by plonking a blue NHS direction sign ‘Chapel’ above ‘Endoscopy’.

Despite the depressing nature of the play, and my few quibbles, Allelujah still has enough Bennett brilliance to make it enjoyable.  It’s just not quite as entertaining as his previous works.