Simon Ward reviews Pews At Ten at the Hope Theatre

The tiny city of St David’s or Tyddewi in Wales, has a population of well under two thousand, but is home to a rather splendid cathedral. And it is here that lifelong friends Dilys (Nia Brooks, who also wrote the play), Rona (Bud Potter) and Meryl (Matty Rudd) meet up to exchange the latest scandalous goings-on in their local community. They are women of a certain age who are fiercely loyal and protective of each other, while at the same time being entirely cognisant of each other’s foibles. They are extremely proud to be Welsh and happily converse among themselves in their native tongue. Hence their dismay to see a newcomer passing out teas at the end of their service addressing them, almost incomprehensibly, in English and with a distinctly Southern English accent. This is David (Tom Hearn), who despite his relative youth and his Englishness, has much in common with his fellow churchgoers.

Under the direction of Isabelle Klein, the show is a frequently hilarious mash-up of deliciously well-observed comedy and a feast of expressionist clowning in which Dilys, Rona and Meryl act out in exaggerated dumbshow their already heightened emotions. The fact that the plot centres on Welsh superstar Sir Tom Jones happily allows for some rather wonderfully choreographed musical numbers as well. The genius of this piece is to seamlessly combine absurd slapstick humour with right-on-the-money insights into small-town Welsh life. The characters ring true, in spite of the craziness all around them. Their passion and determination to get things just right for their hero is utterly convincing. Indeed, the over-the-top dedication to making it all work is precisely how they get through their days. They are no strangers to loneliness or disappointment, but they won’t let that define them.

As the tension mounts in anticipation of a famous visitor, the laughs come thick and fast. There is such intense and agonised discussion around the catering, for example, that one feels friendships might have been strained if it weren’t for the fact that the bonds are so strong. The evocation of country life, where traffic comes to a standstill when the sheep are crossing the road, is beautifully done. Even the simple set of church pews and a parish noticeboard contributes to a sense of a community that sticks together no matter what. The young cast perfectly inhabit the roles of the late-middle-aged matriarchs and Tom Hearn is winning as David, endlessly doomed to fail to live up to expectations, until, that is, his prowess as a Tom Jones impersonator comes to the fore. This is an utterly joyous piece of theatre, extremely funny, and with its heart firmly in the right place. You will leave grinning from ear to ear, humming some of the finest pop tunes, what more could you ask for?

Pews At Ten played at the Hope Theatre, 207 Upper Street, London N1 1RL prior to performances at Paradise Green and Dynamic Earth as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival