Review: CARE, Young Vic Theatre

Photo credit: Johan Persson

A play about death might not seem an attractive prospect, nor would more than two hours without an interval for many theatregoers, but they would be wrong to think that Care by Alexander Zeldin would be anything but a thoughtful, engrossing and ultimately uplifting play which has been beautifully directed, and is acted by a cast of vastly experienced actors.

Joan is struggling and then breaks her hip after a fall. She is persuaded to move to a care home, for respite only as she protests, but rather more permanently in the eyes of her newly bereaved daughter. We see her arrival at the care home, and follow her tentative building of relationships with care staff and other residents, before the inevitable ending. Summarised in that way, the play might sound simplistic or even banal; in fact, it is a profound and expert dramatic achievement.

Zeldin has the remarkable ability, through writing and direction, to put reality on stage, exactly as it is, and yet at the same time to speak to us about the issues raised by the situation depicted. He is greatly helped in this production by an inventive, accurate and rapidly transforming set by Rosanna Vize. The initial detailed panorama of the care home, taking up every available part of the Young Vic, seems likely to be unchanging but this is not the case.

The cast are uniformly impressive from the youngest to the oldest – and that age range is probably greater than that in any other play to be seen currently. Joan is visited by her two grandsons, with the younger one (Ethan Mahoney at this performance, sharing the role with Charlie Webb) convincingly played as a young child grappling with understanding bigger issues than he is ready to deal with. As his troubled older brother, William Lawlor is both truthful and appropriately irritating, a bundle of everything that marks out a confused and anguished sixteen year old.

As the audience enters, Taru Devani’s Aditi sits in her wheelchair, looking at us but apparently not seeing. Only a new arrival in the home raises her interest and gets a reaction. Winston Sookhan as Eugene hovers outside the group, tentative and needing to be invited to join them. Diana Payan is Paula, coping by insisting on what she needs, while Ann Mitchell is the eternally flustered and confused Agnes, who struggles to understand where she has found herself. As their time comes, each of them joins us in the audience and the silence at such moments was powerful. Aoife Gaston is new staff member Fanta, seen rapidly coming to terms with her role.

The performances by the group of older actors are heart-rending to watch and based on a lifetime of understanding of their art, none more so than Hayley Carmichael as the odd one out in the group with a very different background, and Richard Durden as a lost soul who lives only for the memory of his wife.

The central trio of performances are mother, daughter and care worker: the essential relationship group for so many when they enter a residential setting. As care worker Hazel, Llewella Gideon portrays the exhaustion of the role alongside the determination to give of her best and ensure her other staff do the same, despite shortages and lack of funding. It’s a truthful and confident performance, and the scene in which she gives a bed bath to Joan, in real time and with growing response, is both touching and powerful.

Rosie Cavaliero is excellent as the harassed daughter, bringing up her sons alone after the sudden death of her husband, and living with the secrets of how that occurred. She wants the best for her mother but cannot live with seeing her in a diminished state, and takes it out on those around her. Finally, as Joan, Linda Bassett is simply remarkable, and fearless in portraying the bodily and physical decline that awaits so many of us. It is a stunning performance that should surely be award-winning.

This all might sound depressing but it definitely isn’t, even if, as with your reviewer, the subject matter is close to home. My own mother broke her hip, went into care, declined and then died very recently, and went through the same stages of building new relationships and coming to accept care. The reaction of many in the audience showed how close to home these issues are for so many, but what this cathartic play did was to show, especially through the indication of hope at the end, that we can get through these events together, thanks to the innate need to care that is deep within us, whatever obstacles are placed in our way.

Care is running for two months, do not miss it. This is what theatre should be doing.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Chris Abbott

Care plays at London’s Young Vic Theatre until 11 July, with further info here.