Reviews

Kate Griffin's latest play tells the tale of the labourers from Suffolk and Norfolk who migrate to the midlands when the agricultural work runs out in the winter.

In the late Victorian era and beyond the 'Norkies' travelled to Burton upon Trent to work in the maltings and breweries - and one of the traditions was to bring home a teapot when they returned to East Anglia.

The story centres on Joseph (Tim Bell) who follows in his late older brother's footsteps from the Norfolk coast to Staffordshire. He immediately encounters prejudice from the locals - which arguably reflects the current suspicion aroused in some in modern day East Anglia by migrant workers from the rest of Europe.

Two little lovebirds

He returns to the house his brother lodged in and romance is immediately in the air with Emily (Bryony Harding). Although her grandmother is suspicious - "thick as the mud they crawled out of" is one of her memorable phrases to describe the incomers.

Emily and Joseph

Throw in Joseph's 'mother' and brother who come to find Joseph, the Burton shopkeeper Mr Spencer and you have a great piece of social drama.

The other focal point of the play was the battle between Joseph's mother Rose (Jacqueline Redgewell) and Emily's grandmother Nancy (Helen Grady). Formidable women both - reminiscent of Bertie Wooster's Aunt Agatha.

I was aware children born out of wedlock were often brought up thinking their grandmothers were their mothers and their mothers were their sisters, but I wasn't familiar with this great migration of labour that used to take place. Eastern Angles commitment to telling East Anglian stories surely justifies Arts Council funding which has been in doubt over the past year?

The acting and singing was uniformly excellent. Graham Howes has returned to Eastern Angles after a 20 year gap to play two characters - Mr Spencer and Charlie. You might have seen him in Stephen Fry's Kingdom series recently or even in the Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal production of Box & Cox.

Cuckoo to you

I did find the 'threat of incest' twist a bit predictable, but there was another twist after that which I didn't see coming.

The scenery (which has to fit in the small Eastern Angles van!) is simple and effective. It really is the theatre of the mind as the players put more or less mime their way from a railway station to a shop, a house, a hotel and to a riverbank.

Rose and Charlie

A thorougly enjoyable night out which also featured Waldringfield's own version of the Northern Rock crisis - there was a mix-up between the takings for refreshments and the takings for the programmes. The Chancellor will probably have to be brought in to resolve things.

Cuckoo Teapot is touring from 13 February - 9 May 2008 taking in venues in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Burton. Visit the Eastern Angles website for full details using the link on the right. Eastern Angles main box office 01473 211498.