Timing is of the essence here, not only in terms of the staging of this play, a revival and reminder of John Galsworthy's theatrical talents – he is remembered more for the long running Forsyte Saga, which one again graced our screens in a glossy Channel Five series last year – but also in terms of my inability to locate the theatre initially, arriving with only moments to spare, thanks to the ever efficient transport system and my own inability to follow the Google Map instructions...!
I am glad I persevered, however, and completed my quest for Questors – a lovely, friendly theatre in Ealing – as ‘Loyalties' provided a thought-provoking evening that serves as a tonic to a West End dominated by lavishly staged, increasingly jukebox musicals (not that I have anything against them, but variety is the spice of life). The loyalties in question here refer to issues of class and race – as well as increasingly marital loyalties – with a small but significant crime, the theft of a serious sum of money, escalating from country house concern to court room cause celebre amidst an atmosphere of increasing societal antisemitism. Initially at surface level, with mocking jokes about the importance of money – Jewishness having always been associated with financial services from usury to banking, a trope explored to good effect in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice – and references to blood, it becomes more explicit as the British establishment, represented by generals, lawyers and businessmen, close ranks, unable to countenance that a fellow officer and gentleman, Captain Ronald Dancy, could have committed the crime he is accused of. It is a knee jerk response – the man has the DSO, for goodness sake – and leads all of the cast down an increasingly tragic path, as wagons are circled and sides are taken, while the two central protagonists – the aforementioned Dancy and Ferdinand de Levis – escalate their accusations, with the antisemitism becoming more explicit as they swap slurs.
Always absorbing – even the simple set changes are done quickly and effectively, with a distracting combination of dramatic music and Pathe style newsreels in the background and actors directing ‘staff' to move furniture around – the acting, amidst a large cast of nineteen, was admittedly mixed. While the glamorous leading ladies – notably Sophie Platts-Martin as Lady Adela and Alexandra Upton as Margaret – injected a note of flippant fun especially at the outset, uninterested in the potential seriousness of the issue, our two antagonists were less effective, with Alex Perez's Ronald a little one-dimensionally angry for much of the action and Euan Charles' prickly and sensitive De Levis a tad too method in his awkwardness. However, the real strength here is in the quality of the ensemble, and they are well supported by a troupe of Questors' tried and tested, from Howard Shepherdson's suave lawyer to the voices of the establishment, Ant Foran's harassed host, Robert Staines authoritative army officer and Alan Waldock's perturbed peer of the realm. Special mention must be made of two small, but crucial roles, both assisting the narrative but also injecting some humour into a more serious piece, as blind loyalties slip all too easily into prejudice – Mark Redrup as the lively Inspector Dede and John Dobson as the pompous grocer, Gilman.
And, while drawing room drama can feel a little dated, with some of the dialogue stilted and awkward to more modern ears (the play is set in 1922, before the creation of the state of Israel, when antisemitism could not be so easily confused with anti-Zionism or criticisms of the incumbent Israeli government), the themes explored here are sadly all too contemporary. Class remains a hardly perennial of British life, but, in recent times, we have witnessed the difficulties of Jeremy Corbyn's time as Labour leader, marred by accusations of antisemitism, and the resignation this month of the West Midlands police chief, following a controversial ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans. As such, this play could not be timelier. Consider your own quest to Questors, either for this or another show in their extended and eclectic spring season of plays. It will be worth the time and effort.
It runs until 31 January.
Review: David Brown