Notes From Row H

Off West End Theatre review – The Old Vic

This most recent staging of the late Tom Stoppard’s classic 1993 play, Arcadia, at the Old Vic, is full of promise and has all the elements of being a meaningful and deeply philosophical experience. With strong performances from the cast, and delightful set, costume, and lighting design – these elements are given the space to breathe and grow, however, sometimes it felt a bit challenging to follow and understand the complicated dialogue and ideas. 

Set in the same house, and following two timelines that are 200 years apart, Arcadia is packed with wit, humour, flirtatious energy, and intellectual passion. It is an exploration of everything from mathematics and philosophy to history, art, and romance, and is set in the fictional estate of Sidley Park. In the 19^th century, it centres around the teenage prodigy Thomasina Coverly and her grappling with the mysteries of the universe and scientific ideas, with her tutor Septimus Hodge – all while the adults around her are becoming slowly romantically involved with each other. In the 21^st century, and in the same house, two scholars are trying to piece together the events of the past, and are also trying to answer one big question: did the poet Byron visit the estate? 

The performances by the cast are exceptional – especially Isis Hainsworth as the remarkable Thomasina Coverly, and Seamus Dillane as her charismatic tutor, Septimus Hodge. The chemistry between the two is a corner stone and the driving force of this play. In the 21^st century, Prasanna Puwanarajah and Leila Farzad form a strong duo – both with cutting remarks and dry humour. However sometimes, there did not seem to be cohesion between the two, and at times, their scenes felt like a side plot, rather than of equal importance to the 19^th century plot.

The stage is ‘In The Round’, and this is used to its full potential by director Carrie Cracknell (The Grapes of Wrath). When the narrative switches from one timeline to another, the stage turns and with Guy Hoares’s (The Father) lighting design, the discs that are above the stage light up with beads of light. This efficiently differentiates the two time periods and separates the two in the mind of the audience. Alex Eales’ (Portia Coughlan) set design is simple yet effective – with central and outer tables loaded with books and objects from the two centuries. The costume design by Suzanne Cave (A Very British Scandal) is essential in telling the difference between the two centuries, and the 19^th century costumes are particularly striking. 

This was my first time seeing a production of a Tom Stoppard play – and also of Arcadia. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the narrative progressed, how the two timelines combined, and particularly the performances. However, I did find the material very dense, and at times, it involved a lot of mental gymnastics. I am not a maths or science person, so those aspects did go over my head and slightly impeded my ability to enjoy the play in its entirety. However, I was able to see the genius of Tom Stoppard’s writing – even if I did not understand its intricacies. 

Written by Helena Featherstone