Goodnight Mister Tom

What an emotional and poignant play by JABA Inc who performed Goodnight Mister Tom at Ossett Town Hall.    The play, by David Wood, is adapted from Michelle Magorian's 1981 novel, about a young boy named William Beech who is evacuated to the countryside during World War II.  William forms a close bond with the reclusive widower Tom Oakley, finding love and happiness until his abusive mother forces him to return to London.   On entering the Town Hall the audience were welcomed into the room with period relevant live singing and a decorated auditorium which added to the atmosphere.

The set was very well put together and enhanced by projections with strong lighting and sound.  Props and period furniture were used to great effect and the changes were done quickly by both cast and crew.   The use of music and unaccompanied singing added to the production.  Costumes were appropriate with some actors having several changes of stage wear.

The casting of this play should be commended as everyone on stage did really well with several characters multi-rolling.  Everyone had great diction and there were some wonderful accents used especially to emphasise the move from the countryside to London.  The young evacuees at the start of the play must be mentioned for their ability to walk through the auditorium with their solemn faces even though many of them were very young and no doubt had friends and family in the audience.   Other younger cast members included Ruby Hemingway, Elliette Davidson and Kai Ingham (Carrie, Ginnie and George) and all performed with confidence.

These youngest players set the standard which was maintained throughout by a very strong supporting cast.  Jess Dickinson was fiery and passionate as William’s troubled mother, Mrs Beech – a real contrast to her other role as the village school teacher Mrs Hartridge.  Likewise, Chris Littler-Moore used different accents to move between the four characters he played.  John Hewitt was great as Doctor Little – dispensing good advice along with medicine.  Harriet Tattersfield was an imposing Billeting Officer and a friendly Librarian.  Helen Fox was a cheerful and helpful Mrs Fletcher – and very believable in both this and her role as Glad during the London air raid.  Malcom Trigg was a jovial Postmaster and officious ARP Warden whilst Jenny Lewis-Gandy played the Postmasters daughter being very wary of the evacuees.   With excellent support from Maxine Mahon, Siobhan Eyre, Gary Kidd, Steve Fealy and Tony Fox who all managed to keep the stage busy and active at just the right points in the play.

Tommy Gossage was a confident and enthusiastic Zach – Gossage captured the energy and flamboyant nature of this young Jewish evacuee whose parents are actors.   Gossage was a great a source of joy and laughter, but his character is also marked by his dramatic ambition and ultimately, his tragic death during the London bombings which the actor captured with great poignancy.  Sophie Barnett was puppeteer to Sammy the dog, a puppet beautifully made by Steve Fealy and Paula Fealy.  Barnett was able to slip into the background whilst making Sammy come to life and also giving him a voice.  It really was excellent mastery of this difficult craft especially as this was the first time Barnett had managed a puppet on stage. 

William Beech, the young evacuee from London, was played by Alexander Spraggon who journeyed from a frightened, abused child to a self-assured young boy illustrating the psychological toll that war and displacement can have upon young evacuees.  Spraggon handled some very challenging and emotive issues with maturity.  Tom Oakley is a cantankerous recluse who unexpectedly forms a deep bond with the shy, abused evacuee and Andrew Leverton portrayed this so well.  Through the progress of the play Leverton demonstrated the character's transformation from a lonely widower into a nurturing father figure, bringing both warmth and humanity to the role. The interactions with Spraggon are central to the play's emotional impact and they both had great empathy. 

At its core, Goodnight Mister Tom offers a lens through which to explore the many challenges faced during wartime.  This was a wonderful production, directed by Chris Harrison, working with Producer Steve Fealy, and all involved should be very proud of their interpretation of this play which celebrated friendship, resilience and healing.

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