Review: WELCOME TO PEMFORT, Soho Theatre
Photo credit: Camilla Greenwell
Sarah Powers' Welcome To Pemfort suitably matches the intimate surroundings of Soho Theatre’s main house on Dean Street. A tenderly performed production that gives the audience plenty of laughs with gut-punches aplenty on a night that delivers musings on the most sensitive of subjects.
We join the family-esque workers of a historical castle, or fort depending on who you ask, built in the 11th century as they gear up to put together their first 'living history' day. However, dynamics soon change as nervous newcomer Kurtis joins the team and brings a cacophony of secrets with him.
The small-scale gift shop set helps ground Welcome To Pemfort in reality, immediately enclosing the action into one static location. Pemfort, the town, is instantly recognised even though we never leave the singular location. This not only helps to anchor a sense of daily life but also forces the audience to remain stuck in this world that has been caringly constructed by set designer Alys Whitehead.
The beauty of Welcome To Pemfort arrives in shape of the comedy unleashed on stage. At times, it feels as though we are witnessing a workplace sitcom, with each of the fully formed characters displaying a certain quirk that helps establish their characteristics almost immediately. We have the mother hen of the group - Uma (played with dizziness and maternal love by Debra Gillett), Ria (Lydia Larson - charming) is the calmness and poise that keeps the Castle running smoothly. The third cog is Glenn, a uber-serious young man whose fascination with Pemfort and dedication to honouring its legacy is played with such realism by Ali Hadji-Heshmati, whilst never turning the performance into a joke. Kurtis, all simmering nervousness and tightly-wound rage completes the foursome. Sean Delaney delivers such a grounded portrayel of Kurtis in Welcome To Pemfort, predominantly treading on eggshells until emotions boil over and feelings cannot be contained any longer.
Without giving too much of the plot away, as revealing the secrets would be a disservice to such a fully-formed production, Welcome To Pemfort's themes shine a mirror on society and reflect a difference in opinions on one of the most sacred of subjects. Can a criminal ever be rehabilitated, let alone trusted? Over the course of ninety uninterrupted minutes, director Ed Madden attempts to do just that and proves once again that humanity remains the most important element of these salient stories.
Clever use of lighting is utilised in order to show the shifting tones in the piece. Whilst the carefree scenes, full of banter and warmth are flushed with a natural tone, the more heavier sequences are shadowy and harsh. Directly contrasting each other, lighting designer Cheng Keng maximises the discomfort of the content and pairs the scenes with such an uncomfortable mood - she employs a harsh white light that signifies terror and dread that perfectly reflects not only the mood of the audience, but also the fear in the characters eyes aswell.
As each character has their own view on the matter at hand, the audience are left to determine not only how we feel, but how we would react in the same situation. At its most consuming, Welcome To Pemfort creates such an intense feeling that the lull in sound is almost deafening. For the entirety of the play, a sense of tension is heavily hanging over proceedings. Ed Madden curates this stress by cleverly shifting the mood into a boiling point of emotions that leaves the audience with anxiety as to where the story will head to next.
With strong identities and beautiful text at play, Welcome To Pemfort succeeds in delivering a heart-wrenchingly funny evening of live theatre.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: James Springthorpe
Welcome to Pemfort plays at London’s Soho Theatre until 18 April, with further info here.
