Hampstead theatre, London
Richard’s Nelson’s elegiac monologue feels like Paul Jesson is live-reading a novel and results in a sense of stagnation
Richard’s Nelson’s monologue, written for Paul Jesson to perform, is a meditation on life and death, the theatre and what it means to be an actor. Beginning at Waterloo train station, he takes us with him on a romantic train journey to the West Country to visit an old friend for the weekend, but also through his life’s memories.
Alone onstage, the Actor (Jesson) shares his past with us, as if we were his old friends. He talks of his career, illness, ageing, his partner Michael – a fellow thespian who recently passed away – and the experience of living with overwhelming grief. The play is packed with reflections and feels like a gentle stream of consciousness. But, though Nelson’s writing includes countless references to drama, Shakespeare and the stage, his play feels more like a live reading of a novel.
