In line with its 2026 ‘Reimagining’ strategy Alphabetti Theatre continues to offer in-house support to artists interested in developing and trying out new work. Whilst the focus is mostly on artists and companies based in the North East, this offer was recently extended to an ambitious two-hander starring Tom Wells (EastEnders, Waterloo Road, Bancroft, Doctors, Canned Goods) and Harriet Chomley (Posh Girls). To be fair, Wells hails from Hull and has not lost his regional accent despite drama school training. As Daniel Bye observed, writing in The Guardian nearly 16 years ago, “…there’s something missing when an accent spoken by less than 5% of the population is so prevalent.”
The Departure
Apparently, ‘The Departure’ is a personal project that has been nurtured by Wells for five or so years. The play takes a look at opposites such as the north-south divide, class issues, and science versus superstition, as well as the pain of grief, loss and abandonment that most of us feel at some point in our lives. It is this common human experience that eventually bridges the gap between the two disparate protagonists. Central to the play is the mother-child relationship and how we can never totally cut the umbilical cord regardless of the quality of parenting we receive. We never see the two mothers whose influence weighs so heavily on the characters but they loom larger than life, even in absentia.
Alphabetti was the perfect venue for this intimate one act play set entirely in the living room of Lily’s London flat, except she’s not there to begin with. Instead, a rather unkempt Ross is hanging out, anxiously awaiting the express delivery of his passport so he can quite literally escape to the Australian outback where he hopes to avoid the pain of childhood trauma. When Lily returns after attending her mother’s funeral to find a complete stranger in her home, albeit a friend of a friend, Ross has a lot of explaining to do. He’s on his way out, tail between his legs, when an unopened can of ‘Best Bitter’ lurking in the sofa changes everything.
Lily softens and invites him to stay awhile pouring the beer into two wine glasses. In a more conciliatory tone she begins to share aspects of her life. She’s educated, middle-class and bright but shamefacedly she’s only an intern in the scientific community and lives in the shadow of her eminent and recently deceased chemist mother. Meanwhile Ross is a ‘fencer’, in the agricultural sense rather than appertaining to the combat sport which is closer to Lily’s understanding of the world. A subsequent introduction to ‘periodic tables’ by Lily is equally funny when Ross describes his family’s version – trestles kept in the garden shed and brought out when needed! The miscommunication between this mismatched couple allows for some lighter moments in what is otherwise an exhausting emotional roller coaster. However, both the periodic table with its ‘Noble Gases’ and the task of driving and burying fence posts deep into the ground are key metaphors in the development of the narrative.
It takes us longer to learn Ross’s back story but when it comes it is heart-rending – born to a teenage mum and brought up by his grandfather, he has developed a coping mechanism which relies on the integrity of a pocket watch. When Lily inadvertently breaks the watch, injuring her hand in the process, the drama reaches fever pitch. How will Ross cope if he cannot pour his anxieties into the watch and keep them contained? We watch transfixed as he grapples with the debilitating physical manifestation of overwhelming feelings. Meanwhile Lily paints a picture of herself as a ‘bad person’ incapable even of accepting a posthumous award in honour of her mother.
Despite their different upbringings each has something to offer the other, a new perspective, an alternative viewpoint, empathy with the other’s mother, and a sense that despite deep wells of grief we are not alone. I particularly liked the tender taking away of tears which Ross first introduces and is then taken up by Lily. Each time this simple action is performed it allows a much needed pause in the relentless emotional onslaught.
Thoughts on the work in progress
The performance at Alphabetti was a work in progress and as such it is worth commenting on aspects that require attention. At 80 minutes the piece is overlong; it’s tough going for the audience to be bombarded by so much emotional intensity for over an hour. More lighter moments further exploiting the language misunderstandings would be welcome along with fewer peaks and troughs. The play puts a great deal of focus on significant objects such as the pocket watch and the miniature photo, also the mother’s suit jacket. These MUST be treated with greater reverence. When the miniature photo fell onto the floor I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Why didn’t Ross pick it up? Equally, why did he leave the broken watch on the table? And why didn’t Lily pay attention to the inside-out pocket of her mother’s jacket?
Why didn’t either of them pick up the wine glasses when they fell on the floor? Having been directed to pay attention to these props it was a distraction for the audience when the actors then ignored them.
‘The Departure’ is billed as “a naturalistic, contemporary comedy drama” which to my mind somewhat trivialises the human pain under the microscope in the production. I would be happy simply with ‘naturalistic, contemporary drama’. Jay Ford directs and clearly places great trust in the actors to manage their respective emotional trajectories. However, reining in some of the early emotional outbursts would help create greater impact later on. The production now moves to the Lion and Unicorn in Kentish Town, London, for a week-long run. Hopefully, this will allow some settling in and enable the cast to further sharpen their performances. Meanwhile, huge thanks to the Alphabetti team for creating the space and conditions for creativity to flourish. Check out the website for what’s happening next.
