REVIEW: The Eagle & The Seagull by Tim Connery at Bridge House Theatre 9 – 13 May 2023

‘Some skilled writing’ ★★★ ½

Great sporting rivalries abound through the years. Liverpool and Manchester United. Benn and Eubank. McEnroe and Borg. Crystal Palace and Brighton? Well, apparently, yes, there is a deep history there, fuelled by years of supporter indignity and heartache.

So, it’s a pretty neat idea to bring together a supporter of each of these teams who are, at least, united in their support of the national team - and throw them into a hot, fetid prison cell in Spain, both suspected of causing the death of a young Spanish football fan.

This is essentially a well set up two hander - slight but interesting character studies of two very different people whose lives are in peril with their situation causing them to attempt to counter division and deep rooted prejudices. The two supporters exhibit fundamental differences across the full spectrum of class, education and, of course, football.

Shakespeare-quoting Lucien is thoughtful, studied and reflective. He came to supporting Brighton late but his life story - ex army - and how he came to get into football is believably told. In his stage debut, Laurence Perry is at times underpowered and needs a bit more ‘oomph’ from Tim Connery’s script but as the drivers for and of his life are revealed, he grows in stature and delivers a nicely nuanced performance.

By contrast to Lucien, Oliver Joseph Brooke’s Terry is a sweaty, sloppy ‘mess’ of a man - all Sarf London but with a troubled background and an inability to do press ups (the latter is a ‘thing’ in the show’s denouement which I really liked). Brooke has a ball with the role and, whilst verging on caricature, he injects a realism and believability in Terry who we find ourselves rooting for.

Both actors nicely play out the silences and the more raucous, interacting scenes but, in the tiny but wondrous Bridge House Theatre, a little more effort to convey the heat and squalor of the prison cell would have helped keep things interesting.

Mark Steere’s Inspector Suarez pops in from time to time to, essentially, move the plot forward and provide a little more light relief and he has a few good lines. The play is flagged as a ‘black comedy’ and it never reaches the heights to deserve this moniker but there is some skilled and sharp writing here - a few more gags would have not gone amiss - and direction by Sally Toynton is precise but gives the actors space to breath and do their thing.

I did spend the last 15 minutes trying to guess the end and the twist - or twists - were neat and worked really well. So, all in all a very satisfying evening and a play that deserves a further and longer life.

Stage D’Or in association with JLA Productions

presents the World Premiere of

The Eagle & The Seagull

at The Bridge House Theatre, Penge, from 9th -13th May 2023

Box Office https://thebridgehousetheatre.co.uk/shows/the-eagle-the-seagull/

CAST:

OLIVER JOSEPH BROOKE

Terry

LAURENCE PERRY

Lucien

MARK STEERE

Chief Inspector

Artistic Team:

Director

SALLY TOYNTON

Writer

TIM CONNERY

Reviewed by Paul Maidment