Review: All Saints at the Last Refuge

All Saints

The Last Refuge

Reviewed on Tuesday 18th June 2013

All Saints, a new play by Nicola Baldwin, concerns itself with the dilapidated titular Church in Peckham and its dwindling congregation. Lead by recently-arrived vicar Stella, the church is on the precipice of collapse, both in terms of the building itself and its lack of engagement with the local community. Towards the start of the play, Stella talks longingly of vibrant church communities in local warehouses and shop fronts and she longs to bring that fervour into her ailing flock.

The set, a patchwork crucifix and table and chairs, is basic. But the organ music piped into the auditorium eases the audience into the right frame of mind for the next two and a half hours entertainment.

Like The Amen Corner at the National, another play which concerns itself with church life and politics, the piece is littered with hymns and sermons, although the congregation here are rather less harmonious! The action begins with Jessica Kennedy's mellifluous tones floating down the spiral staircase. Splitting the stage with the devil, Jessica plays a winged angel, all jolly and positive. This device, using representatives of Christ and the anti-Christ, comments upon the moral turpitude of the main action of the play, is clunky and ineffective. Even if these are visions in Stella’s mind, they are unnecessary and detract from the rapture of the story.

The play develops into a tragi-comedy of near-Shakespearean proportions as we follow Stella and her ally Trissia on their quest to do everything it takes to make All Saints the vibrant community hub it deserves to be. I don’t want to give too much away but audiences can look forward to a shotgun marriage, absurd quotations of English literary greats in thick Russian accents, grinding African dance during old Church of England hymns and a last minute, gasp-inducing plot twist. 

The cast are without exception excellent but standout performances come from Michelle Greenidge as Trissia, a spirited calypso of a woman with more moves than Shakira and more evangelical fervour than Ed Young and Christopher Lane as jaunty, perky Casamir. With his Cheshire Cat grin, he exudes friendliness and charm; the touching affection between he and Jessica Kennedy’s incredibly convincing ‘little boy’ is delightfully underplayed. The whole cast gels wonderfully as an ensemble and the writing, other than a slight lull midway through act two, is laugh-out-loud funny, witty, and touching.

A performance this good cannot simply be put down to good acting and writing. Direction by Helen Sheals moves things along at a great pace, drawing out the humour and making time to bring out each nuanced and heartwarming moment. 

This is a rich, broad and hugely enjoyable piece of theatre that can be enjoyed by everyone. Baldwin’s skill has been to draw upon the broad church of the community she writes about: there is not a soul in Peckham (or London) that could not relate to and empathise with these characters and this play. It merits a life beyond this run and I sincerely hope someone has the vision to give this play the longer life and wider audience it so rightly deserves.

As I stood on the platform of Peckham Rye waiting for my train home, I could see the actual All Saints Church staring back at me. I found myself wondering: are the people and stories inside that church as joyful as those in Baldwin’s vision? For Peckham’s sake, I sincerely hope so.

Reviewed by Jody Tranter
contact@westendframe.com

All Saints runs at the Last Refuge until Sunday 30th June.
Visit www.thelastrefuge.co.uk/all-saints for further information and tickets

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