Goodnight Mister Tom @ Southwark Playhouse*

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tickets and more information: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show/goodnight-mr-tom/
Running until: 25th August 2018
Production Photos by: Eliza Wilmot

Being the first of four productions, Goodnight Mister Tom kicks off the British Theatre Academy’s South London residency of shows performed entirely by the students of the British Theatre Academy. Goodnight Mister Tom is written by David Wood, based on the novel by Michelle Magorian. The play follows William Beech, who is sent from London to live with a man called Tom Oakley in the country as an evacuee during World War 2. Over the course of their time together, they find what was missing from their lives in each other. I haven’t read the book or watched the film and was pleasantly surprised by how heartwarming and lovely this production is.

Although the production is aimed at youths, the play doesn’t shy away from the horror of being in the middle of a war. Act two focuses on the relationship between William and his mum which really showed the abusive side to her and how awful William’s upbringing was. As well as this, the production shows how death and grief can affect kids and adults alike and what life was like in the country and in London during the war. The production incorporates audio clips from Winston Churchill, which was effective in the small Little space at the Southwark Playhouse.

The roles are alternated between different BTA students each performance so I can only comment on the actors that were on when I saw the show. And if the other actors are just as good as the group that I saw, then you’re definitely in for a treat. Leading the cast when I saw the show was Evan Huntley-Robertson as William, who was really delightful to watch. Alongside him was James Sampson as Tom, who looked really young but portrayed an older man quite magnificently and was captivating to watch. I must say, the scene stealer of the show was Felix Hepburn as Zach, who had comedic timing down to a T and was so delightfully charming. The entire cast did a brilliant job and really made the play come alive.

I particularly enjoyed the set design by Greg Wilmot which showcased some really beautiful paintings. The lighting design by Gregory Jordan was also effective in creating a warm and sunny countryside to dark and miserable London within the small space. Overall, I pleasantly enjoyed this production. The wealth of talent in the cast really shows that they are the future of theatre.

For more information on the British Theatre Academy please visit https://thebritishtheatreacademy.com

Until next time,