A Vacancy Has Arisen

A Vacancy Has Arisen, written and directed by Annie Walthorn, is an original new play with ambition, heart and a personal creative journey behind it. Conceived over thirty years ago during Annie’s days at Manchester Polytechnic, tucked away in an attic and lovingly reworked decades later, this production already carries a sense of history before the curtain even rises. You feel that backstory in the material, and in Annie’s determination to bring it to life. You can also sense the hand of producer Trish Walthorn, the playwright’s daughter, who encouraged her mother to retrieve the script and whose work behind the scenes has helped shepherd the piece from attic to stage. That shared perseverance, and their belief in the piece, shines through the evening.

The concept is immediately intriguing: a vacancy has arisen for the position of ‘Judge of Conscience’ for the North West. The audience, treated as applicants for this unusual post, are invited to observe a selection of past cases overseen by the current Judge.  These cases draw us back primarily to the early 1960s and the village of Lyndendale, where a seemingly simple surprise party for Mildred Phillips, returning to her roots after decades abroad, becomes the catalyst for buried truths. Old grievances and long-suppressed memories bubble to the surface, skeletons of the past begin to rattle, and several conscience-stricken villagers find themselves on the horns of a dilemma.  Across three acts the play spans time from the Great War through the 1920s and up to the 1960s, revealing how guilt, indecision, lost opportunities and faltering memory shape lives. At the centre stands the Judge of Conscience, urging us to ask: on what do we base our judgements, and who among us is truly fit to judge. It is serious, often surreal, and consistently thought-provoking, circling around the haunting question, “Can you weigh that which cannot be measured.”

This is unmistakably Annie Walthorn’s passion project, and that single-minded authorship is one of the production’s strengths. The central question, “Can you weigh that which cannot be measured,” runs like a thread through her staging, with conscience and moral responsibility explored from multiple angles without ever feeling heavy-handed.  Her direction makes good use of the three-act structure to build a sense of a community observed over time. The surreal framing device of the Judge of Conscience, combined with the more naturalistic village scenes, creates an engaging contrast, we are never allowed to sit too comfortably, and that is the point. Annie’s passion for the project is evident in the detail of the scenes, the care with which she handles moments of confession and revelation, and the trust she places in her cast to tackle emotionally demanding material.

There were several standout performances that anchored the evening and elevated the production. Credit must go to Michael Gray, who took on the pivotal role of the Judge of Conscience at the last moment. He cut an impressively judge like figure, calm, authoritative and enigmatic, with a notable stage presence that held the room whenever he stepped forward to address us as prospective applicants. It is a part that could easily feel static, but he gave it weight and humanity and did a great job in anchoring the whole piece. Jack Tyson and Catherine Griffiths, whose scenes together as Lady Isobelle and her “staff” were compelling. Jack brought a warmth and quiet intensity to his role, playing a deeply caring man who is clearly worried about how the lady he has looked after for many years is deteriorating in both health and mental acuity. Opposite him, Catherine gave Lady Isobelle a fascinating blend of vulnerability and fragility and charted her mental decline with real sensitivity and nuance. Their shared moments were gentle and understated rather than showy, full of care, concern and unspoken history, and they handled both the lighter and more brittle beats with assurance. Equally impressive were Charlie Brickman and Rachel Burgess as Sally and Young Sid. We first meet them as a young couple, with Sally heavily pregnant, and together they create a convincing picture of warmth, normality and shared excitement about the future. As the story unfolds, however, a darker truth emerges, a more sinister side to Young Sid’s character and the depth of Sally’s unhappiness. Charlie moves convincingly from easy charm to something more controlling and unsettling, while Rachel, when Sally finally confides in her friend Milly, does so with raw, emotional power rather than restraint. As Young Milly, Jo Breen-Orr played opposite Sally beautifully, grounded, responsive and compassionate, giving Rachel the space to fully release that torrent of feeling. The contrast between the seemingly happy façade and the painful reality underneath made their scenes among the most powerful and unsettling of the night. The production also benefits from the presence of two younger performers, Kenji Tanzey and Francesca Muldoon, both of whom delivered confident and engaging performances. They held their own onstage, contributing clarity and energy to their scenes, and it will be exciting to see how they grow with further stage experience.  Overall, this was a committed and cohesive ensemble, with a strong sense of shared purpose. The performances supported one another generously, creating a believable community onstage and showcasing just how much talent is present across the company. Even those not singled out by name make a valuable contribution, keeping the pace and energy buoyant throughout and helping to knit the many threads of the story into a convincing and well-balanced whole.

The design team wisely opted for a simple but effective set, which served the multi-period narrative well. The playing space could adapt to different times and places without becoming cluttered, allowing the story and performances to remain central. Props were few but carefully chosen, appropriate to the period and the situations, and used with restraint, which helped to suggest time and place without overwhelming the actors or the audience’s imagination. The props team of Carol Wood and Trish Walthorn deserve recognition for this thoughtful, unobtrusive work. One small practical note, it would have been neater if the haze machine had been fully concealed until its atmospheric arrival in the final act, as its visible presence occasionally drew the eye unnecessarily.

Sound by Peter Jones and Chris Higgins was well handled. The boundary microphones amplified the vocals clearly and ensured that dialogue was intelligible throughout the auditorium, a real asset for a word and idea driven piece such as this. The use of sound bites and well-chosen period music to begin scenes, and to bookend the show as a whole, was particularly smart, it not only established mood and period but also helped to smooth and cover some of the more substantial scene changes.

Lighting, designed and run by Martin Judge, was thoughtfully executed and well implemented, adding texture and atmosphere to each scene. Shifts in colour, intensity and focus subtly guided the audience’s attention and underlined transitions in time and tone. The Judge’s world and the village flashbacks felt distinct yet connected, thanks to the lighting choices.

There were some lengthy pauses between scenes, with the curtain closing for each change. While understandable from a technical standpoint, these repeated curtain closures occasionally broke the momentum and risked pulling the audience out of the story. When the scenes resumed, the quality of the material and performances drew us back in, but streamlining these transitions where possible would further strengthen the overall flow.

Behind all of this, the work of stage manager Alan Shipway should be applauded. Coordinating scene changes, lighting and sound cues, props, and cast entrances on a complex three-act show is no small task, and in amateur theatre the stage manager is often the lynchpin that holds everything together. The smooth running of the evening is a real credit to Alan’s vital, if often unsung, role, and to Trish Althorn’s steady hand as producer in pulling the many threads of the production together.

A Vacancy Has Arisen is an ambitious, original and thoughtful new play that raises big questions about judgement, guilt and memory, and does so with sincerity and imagination. The play moves well and entertains, offering moments of genuine emotional power and several memorable performances. The audience clearly enjoyed the show, responding warmly to its humour, listening intently in the quieter moments, and rewarding the company with generous applause at the end. What is most striking is the sense of collective achievement, this feels like a company pulling together to realise a shared vision.

In amateur theatre, courage and heart count for a great deal, and this production has both in abundance. Full admiration is due to everyone involved, onstage and off, for bringing such a personal and provocative piece to life.

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