REVIEW: HELD by Joe Ward Munrow at Old Red Lion Theatre 4-15 November 2025
‘When memories go, we go’ ★★★
David and Simon, brothers, meet by routine to visit their declining mother. With dialogue that seems slow to get going, this quickly forms part of the core of the piece – ‘what are we doing here?’ The brothers dance around their shared problem but cannot bring themselves to address it directly. Seeing their mother has become a ritual of avoiding such discussion, as we watch the reality of the situation creep in, revealing the differences between the brothers.
Munrow’s writing effectively avoids discussion of the mother - this effect is present throughout, though sometimes undercut by the lengthy speeches delivered by David and Simon, often feeling too loose in connection to the story. The dialogue is most effective when used to recall memories between the brothers, leading nicely into a consideration of memories in relation to dementia; ‘when memories go, we go.’
Julia Munrow as Mary, however, delivers the best performance in the play, particularly in the little memory vignettes that she is trapped in. As the brothers question what their mother experiences in her state, Joe Munrow introduces these vignettes as a warming yet upsetting theory. They’re often funny, but desperately lonely, written and performed perfectly.
As their mother is held in a memory-limbo, David and Simon also find themselves strung between holding on and giving up – part of the beauty of this play is that we get an insight into a character with dementia, and a consideration paid towards her experience of this, too, is a great addition.
The theme of the sea is used throughout in the audio and in scenes towards the end, but isn’t realised throughout, so the effect of this is somewhat lost. The theme fits with the overall concept, but could be represented further in the set.
Overall, this play is a fresh perspective into how a family deals with dementia, deconstructing the effects of the disease, warm yet heartbreaking. The individual performances match the styles of the characters well, with Julia Munrow standing out in her performance of this challenging character.
HELD by Joe Ward Munrow plays at the Old Red Lion Theatre 4-15th November 2025
https://www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk/held.html
Directed by Linda Miller
Presented by A Drunken Sailor
Cast:
Mary - Julia Munrow
Simon - Elias Williams
David - Jack Waterman
Reviewer Seb Gardiner is a playwright based in Reading, and is currently the Development Officer and a Resident Writer for a Manchester-based theatre company. He studied English Literature at university, with a focus on medieval history and drama.
