Based on the novel by Ali Smith, Autumn has been adapted for stage by Harry McDonald. The synopsis describes a play about the state of the nation during and after the Brexit vote. Although I don’t recall hearing the word Brexit used on stage.

Elisabeth (Rebecca Banatvala) befriends their elderly European neighbour Daniel (Gary Lilburn). As a teenager I can understand why she is drawn to him, he is full of knowledge and intriguing information that she finds fascinating and wants to understand the world. His frequently asked question to everyone he meets is “What are you reading at the moment” as his passion is to discuss books and share with them what he has read.

Nancy Crane plays multiple believable characters from the care home assistants and, the holding centre security guard to the fed-up and awkward post office counter clerk. I am sure many of the audience members have encountered “jobsworth” staff like her character and recognised the frustration felt by Elisabeth.

The most confusing part of the storyline is Elisabeth’s Mother, played by Sophie Ward. Her work and backstory are never fully developed or explained. Her relationship with Elisabeth is “ok” but there’s some tension between them which is never properly discussed. Maybe that is the point but it wasn’t easy to follow at times.

Autumn has a strong cast which I thought wasn’t used to their best abilities. The play didn’t necessarily approach the racism hatred and Brexit referendum head-on. If you hadn’t been living in the UK at that time and felt things change I am not sure you would completely understand some of the references. Potentially it has a lot more to offer. Especially developing Ward’s character as Mother.

Although the play has its floors and unclear development. The one thing I have taken away from it is how we view immigrants. Many of us know first or second-generation immigrants and don’t view them any differently from ourselves. Yet the hostile attitudes at the time they arrived would have been similar to some attitudes now. Yet the thought of talking to those we know differently is horrifying. I don’t claim to have a concrete answer though. No situation is ever straightforward.

For more information about Autumn please check out the link below.

Two Stars.

Photo Credit Harry Elletson.

Autumn