A Feast of East Anglian Drama

Posted on 14th March 2025

Some of the finest productions staged at the Corn Hall have come from The Feast Theatre Company, so I had high hopes for Tales from the Motherland, not least as it has been written by Rob John, author of the previously acclaimed Canada Boys and The Hollyhock Trilogy. It would have been impressive enough had he matched those earlier productions, so its little short of astonishing that this is arguably his strongest work to date.

Once again, we were presented with a trio of short plays, in this case loosely connected by a common theme of motherhood, either directly addressed in Lipstick, the second play, or through the prism of a son’s love, in both Pudding and Pillowcase. The quality of writing throughout was outstanding, investing two monologues and a duologue with a rare authenticity. John, with the help of Dawn Finnerty’s unfussy direction, offers up characters that reveal tales that are poignant without ever being maudlin. Deftly switching from comedy to pathos and back again, I hesitate to discuss plot, such is the pleasure to be had from intricate and engaging storylines that skilfully embed reveals which are surprising, yet whole believable.

None of this would have worked if the cast weren’t equal to the task, so it’s fortunate John’s work benefited from such a gifted company. As well as directing two of the plays, Dawn Finnerty’s unloved mother commanded the stage with a performance that combined vulnerability with steely resolve. Such was Robin McLoughlin’s chameleon like ability to present both a stay-at-home confectioner and a conflicted vicar, I had to remind myself this was the same actor. Barbara Horne’s portrayal of a third-age carer at the end of her tether was both hilarious and heart breaking. Each play was brilliantly rendered, but while the first two monologues captured the imagination, it was the chemistry between McLoughlin and Horne that captured the heart.