SOIREE AT OLVESTON HISTORIC HOME, FEATURING NOEL COWARD’S FAMILY ALBUM
Sunday, July 17
The first in a series of soirees to be hosted by Olveston, the event was a delightful experience for the audience — welcomed to the elegant space, seated at tables and plied with drinks and nibbles before the play began.
The production of Family Album was the brainchild of director Chris Manley, supported by the Olveston team, and she brought together a vastly experienced cast for a sellout short season.
The comedy brings together the Featherways siblings and their wives and husbands, gathered after the funeral of the family patriarch. A few too many toasts of Madeira, and some family skeletons begin to emerge.
The ensemble cast, comprising Richard Huber (Jasper), Sarah Barham (Jane), Terry MacTavish (Lavinia), Brent Caldwell (Richard), Viv Houston (Harriet), Daniel McClymont (Charles), Astrid Raats (Emily), Thomas Makinson (Edward) and Blaise Barham (Burrows), work superbly together as a team to bring the play’s wit, humour and pathos to the fore.
There is also plenty of slapstick humour, centred around the shambling, hard-of-hearing Burrows, and several cast members sing with gusto.
Amid its abundant funny moments, Family Album also brings to light some uncomfortable aspects of family life in Edwardian England, which have echoes to the present day.
With its spectacular setting and strong performances, Family Album was a thoroughly entertaining experience.
