On 5th November, I saw Chris Foxon’s play adaptation of Robert Westall’s novel The Watch House (1977) at the Barnfield Theatre, Exeter. This gothic play follows the story of Anne, a young girl who visits some relatives by the coast to get away from her mother’s messy divorce. There she builds a relationship with Arthur, whose main occupation is taking care of his watch house, a museum in remembrance of late sailors. The plot develops as Anne meets Timmo – her nerdy love interest – and they both encounter spirits of the deceased.
The gothic setting, which was very much on theme with the season, was well-presented through the symbols of graveyards, shipwrecks and the faulty lighthouse. Yet, for me, the sense of fear portrayed in Westall’s novel was not fully transmitted in Foxon’s adaptation. Instead, the comedic aspect of the production overshadowed the original narrative’s more thrilling elements. Even so, the use of twitching lighting and the abrupt noise effects did give me goosebumps at various times. Overall, the play seemed somewhat infantile which would be fine for a target audience of children but, for adults, the constant cliches and overly simplistic plot seemed a bit tedious and underwhelming.
The gothic setting, which was very much on theme with the season, was well-presented through the symbols of graveyards, shipwrecks and the faulty lighthouse.
Despite this, Donald McBride’s portrayal of Arthur was hilarious, with hyperbolized facial expressions and constant witty jokes such as “not even the bloody Tories can take my fish off me”. He managed to bring a sense of comfort and softness to Arthur, making him the most likable character. Catherine Dryden showed great skill in her portrayals of Fiona, Prudie, Da Souza and Timmo; it must be difficult to impersonate four different characters in the same production! Although I don’t fully understand Turvey’s choice of one actress for four characters, the scene where Dryden appears wearing all her costumes at the end – pretending she forgot to change – was rather funny. Aoife Kennan’s portrayal of Anne was a triumph; Anne’s character is meant to be rather cliché and annoying, and this aspect came across well.
Aoife Kennan’s portrayal of Anne was a triumph.
Overall, Turvey’s direction presented Foxon’s adaptation rather well, yet the play did come across as quite bland in my opinion. However, if children are the main target audience, this play would be received as a comedic and entertaining romp!
