Review: JACK AND SARAH, The Mill at Sonning Theatre
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
The ever charming Mill at Sonning is currently playing host to the world premiere of Jack and Sarah, an adaptation of the 1995 romantic comedy of the same name, by Duncan Abel.
We take our seats in what appears to be a building site - Terry Parsons’ clever set portrays a spacious front room in the middle of a renovation, with dust sheets, tools, access equipment and cardboard boxes littering the stage. We meet the heavily pregnant Sarah (Lucy Doyle), a warm, friendly character, nervously excited by her impending motherhood, and her slightly less warm, more highly strung husband Jack (George Banks). The couple are clearly in love, balance each other out, and are picturing their rosy future together as a family – once the roof has been replaced and the front door put back on that is.
Sarah doesn’t bat an eye at the sudden appearance of a local vagrant (Rufus Hound) in their front room, and seems to embrace the chaos of it all, until she goes into early labour and is rushed into hospital. Sadly, due to some unexplained complications, Sarah dies in childbirth, and Jack is left grief stricken with a newborn daughter that he names after his late wife – Sarah.
An unusual and varied support network quickly forms around Jack, including his mother in law (Sarah Moyle) his widowed father (Neil Roberts), and indeed, William (Hound), the homeless man who was originally sleeping in their skip! While each of the characters offer help and advice of their own kind, they can’t provide the kind of support that Jack and Sarah need in order for Jack to return to work. Cue the cute and slightly ditzy food delivery girl Amy (Anya De Villiers), who is unhappy in her present job, and takes an immediate liking to baby Sarah. Amy becomes the live-in nanny, an adjustment that causes many comical and poignant moments to arise as she and Jack navigate the challenges of sharing a house and caring for a baby in a platonic relationship.
George Banks gives a particularly powerful performance as Jack, portraying all stages of grief without overplaying them, yet still delivering some very funny and endearing moments. Rufus Hound plays a hilarious William, the very well spoken homeless man who has fallen from grace and sobriety, and although he doesn’t have the most stage time, somehow manages to draw the eye, and the laughter every time he appears. (Hound also managed an exceptionally funny and well timed ad lib about an audience member’s phone repeatedly beeping, without breaking character at all, which earned a round of applause!)
As the story progresses, subtle changes are made to the set to show the passing of time and the progress of the renovation. Jack becomes more comfortable and less frantic while handling his daughter, and William reforms from a down and out alcoholic to a respectable charmer, with romantic aspirations towards Jack’s mother in law! Each character has their own clear and considered journey, and although thrown together through tragic circumstances, it is rewarding to see human connection, time and patience act as a tool for healing. The ultimately (mostly) happy ending to the piece allows us to believe that there is hope even in the saddest of circumstances.
Jack and Sarah is both funny and sad, charming and heartbreaking, and silly and sensitive. It’s a well put together show, with some exceptionally strong performances which will delight fans of the film, and warm the hearts of anyone who has experienced the profound grief of loss.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Sarah Brown
Jack and Sarah plays at The Mill at Sonning until 14 June, with further info here.