by Jack Thorne | directed by Ginny Porteous
Norwich Players | 16 September 2026
When I saw 'Winston' and 'war' in one title, I made the initial mistake of assuming we were into WWII. The 'war' in question is the conflict between the 1926 General Strike, the Government of the day, and the BBC. I'm ashamed to say that my knowledge of that period of history is patchy, to say the least, and if we'd arrived at the theatre with enough time to read the programme before curtain up, director Ginny Porteous' notes would have enlightened me! Note to self: must do homework...
But what a cast. Many familiar friends, some of whom I have acted with or directed across the years, and many welcome new faces. The whole team gave excellent and accomplished performances; in many cases, they were multi-tasking with breathtaking speed and clarity. I was especially delighted by Jonathan Cooke's glorious Stanley Baldwin and Kevin Oelrichs' moving and gentle Archbishop of Canterbury - in both cases, the gents in question also doubled as variety entertainers of the era, among other things.
The inimitable Jez Pike commanded the stage as the central figure, John Reith, and brought deep humanity to this multi-faceted and fascinating character. Hannah Jones, as Isabel Shields, was immensely likeable; a wonderful link with the audience as she broke the fourth wall and acted both within the scenes and as an observant and entertaining narrator. (Her stagecraft and projection, incidentally, are impeccable.) And a real revelation to me was the magnificent Monty Jordan as Winston Churchill: portraying this well-known figure during a lesser-known period of his life and political career, with equal parts passion and humour but without the pastiche that could so easily intrude.
Ginny Porteous' direction was clear and focused, facilitating the creation of believable and sympathetic characters and maintaining excellent pace throughout. John Holden's imaginative set was simple, adaptable and evocative, making brilliant use of levels and rapid scene changes that allowed the 'flow' of the play to move swiftly.
Jack Thorne's script was to me, at least initially, somewhat confusing to me; it takes a while for the audience (without the homework mentioned above!) to settle into an understanding of the situation and its theatrical approach. However, as the story gathered its pace it also gained clarity, and it became a highly satisfying experience - thanks to the considerable skills of a fine director and team of actors.
The play continues until Sunday 20 September with evening performances Thursday to Saturday, and matinees on Saturday and Sunday. A highly-recommended production, and a credit to all concerned.
https://maddermarket.co.uk/
