REVIEW: THE RETREAT by Jason Sherman at Finborough Theatre 26 April – 13 May 2023

‘Engaging character-led drama with timeless themes and relevant context’ ★★★★

The dreams, hopes and ideals of four Toronto based characters form the basis of this play penned 27 years ago by Jason Sherman, one of Canada’s most influential and prolific playwrights. Currently having its first airing at the Finborough, known for producing more Canadian plays than anywhere else in Europe, this theatre also debuted Sherman’s work way back in 2005 with Patience. Sherman who works across stage and screen situates much of The Retreat, within the screenwriting industry and this tale is told with an assiduous insider’s eye.

Rachel, a Hebrew school teacher is in trouble with her boss after criticizing the actions of Israel on the West Bank to her pupils. But her secret dream is to pen a film script that “makes a difference.” Rachel’s old dad has a terminal tumour and sits in a floral stuffed armchair. He dreams of dying in his own country. David and Jeff, film school chums who set up as independent producers have opposing professional goals. David wants to make great art; Jeff wants to make serious money and raise their company to the next level. “I got kids. I can’t afford integrity.”  They clash over the merits of Rachel’s script, a biblical epic about a false messiah and, when David mentors Rachel at a writing retreat, it’s more than her plotlines he fancies.

With compelling performances that draw you into the fears, aspirations and disappointments of each character, The Retreat offers audiences an absorbing 2 and a half hours (with a fifteen-minute interval) The length is perhaps the only thing that reveals its age (ninety minutes is seen as the golden measure these days, but not sure how that came about.)  

Jonathan Tafler could command a one man show as Wolf Benjamin so wise, stoic, moving and hilarious is he, as the protective Jewish father.  Michael Feldsher as Jeff Bloom, a wise-cracking raconteur who will do whatever he can to protect his commercial interests seems to channel Saul Goodman (of ‘Call Saul’). Rakishly handsome Max Rinehart is the alluring and conflicted David Fine who locks eyes with Jill Winternitz as Rachel who juggles duties and dreams with sweetness, subtlety and suppressed emotion.

Sherman has been compared stylistically to David Mamet and this comparison is borne out from the opening scene to the last. The characters communicate with quick fire dialogue; questions are answered with questions and the verbal wrestling brings pace and energy to the scenes. The second half does stall and drag at points especially the line by line reading of Rachel’s script, but beyond this, the themes remain timeless and context relevant.  Although The Retreat is a physical entity in this play world, it also relates to an emotional choice or direction in life. Do we retreat from our dreams or move towards them and, at what cost?

The need to tell stories, “writers make sense of the world and our place in it” and the commercial imperative to sell them to those “who crave narrative….” speaks to both the play’s subject matter and the character’s personal accounts. Thrilling projections by Cheng Keng combine with lighting by Ben Jacobs and sound by Adam Lenson to activate the solitary writing process in a text-based, kinetic display which transposes imaginative work into the wider world. The overlap of individual need and responsibility to others, alongside themes of love, belonging and theft (of land, love or intellectual property) give much to the audience to mull over in this engaging premier which is on for a limited run only.

Images: Ali Wright

THE RETREAT by Jason Sherman at Finborough Theatre 26 April – 13 May 2023

Box Office https://finboroughtheatre.co.uk/production/the-retreat/

Director

EMMA JUDE HARRIS

Designer

ALYS WHITEHEAD

Lighting Design

BEN JACOBS

Projection Design

CHENG KENG AND ADAM LENSON

AV Supervisor

ADAM LENSON

Stage Manager

CHLOE JONES

Producer

Presented by Bellinger Court Productions in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre.

Cast

MICHAEL FELDSHER

MAX RINEHART

JONATHAN TAFLER

JILL WINTERNITZ

Reviewed by Nilgin Yusuf

An experienced author, lecturer and journalist (ex-Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph and ELLE) Nilgin is developing her first full-length stage play, supported by Mrs.C’s Collective and the Arts Council