The Kitchen Sink

Bolton Little Theatre start 2023 with The Kitchen Sink by Tom Wells. Tom Wells writes about the normality of life, but injects it with humour and it’s like looking through a window into life. A lot of the family life will resonate with the audience - it’s set in the kitchen, often the hub of family life. You walk into the studio and it’s like walking into someone’s kitchen, no item has been forgotten. Using a thrust stage the audience is allowed to get up close and personal. Simon Mott Set Designer & Director has thought of every last detail. Pine table centre stage plus four chairs with beige padded seats. The back wall a kitchen unit complete with cooker, hanging mugs and utensils and the customary spider plant. Floor cupboards incorporating fridge and cooker. Complete with a pan of sliced carrots in water.  We had fully functional toaster and kettle (oh how the mundane noise of a kettle boiling adds to the drama!). At the opposite end was fully working sink (well, in this families case not really working!). The sink with cupboards underneath has such detail - marigolds, washing up liquid and cloths but the piece de resistance was the clutter we all have under the sink, bottles that are probably never used or ones so old they are out of date (or is that just me and Kath then?)! . . .this set deserved its very own round of applause! Set Construction Jeff Lunt, Andrew Gradwell, Liz Pickles, Simon Mott, Jade Mulraney and Jolyon Coombs. Also the impressive volume of Props is to the credit of Charlotte Carlin and Team.

The Lighting was naturalistic and added to the piece, some fourteen scenes starting off in spring and going through the seasons. Lighting was by Ashley Foster. Sound by John Lyon who was also kept busy as we were treated to Dolly Parton throughout the show. Costume, Hair and Make-up were all in keeping from overalls, lollypop lady to ju-jitsu outfit to mention a few. (Costume uncredited).

Simon Mott takes us on a journey of this family’s struggles, woes and life just happening around them. It sounds like it could be mundane, this it was not. His well thought out set was just the platform to showcase his actors’ talents. The fourth wall disappearing as you were catapulted into the scenes leaves no room for error as you were so close to the action. Darren Brierley played Martin, husband to Kath & dad to Sophie and Billy. His line “you have to work at being a failure, it takes hard work” encapsulated his character and his list by rote of his street journey in his milk float was very impressive. The play opens with a piece of his milk float on the kitchen table taped up, it actually looked a very important piece, bits keep falling off it and he keeps sticking them back on -  literally! It was like an analogy of the family life - ignore it and just stick it back. His relationship with his son was a difficult and complicated one. The writer doesn’t give us much and it’s up to the actor to fill in the blanks. Darren did a great job but I do wonder if we could have seen more of his struggle when Billy was not looking (just an observation and something to think about)?. . .the hug at the end was a touching moment.

Connor Beckwith played Billy - all he wants to do is go to art college, but will people get him as he tussles with the idea of sticking sequins on his picture of Dolly Parton. He has a great relationship with his Mum and this is explored as she pushes him out of the mundane. When he came in and his Mum wants to smoke a joint and his line ”is this a test?” was hilarious. His energy was different to the rest of the cast and whether intentional or not this worked. Everyone pushing him to do something but he went at his own pace and found himself, even if it didn’t fit in with everyone else.

Catherine Henderson played Kath, Wife, Mum, friend and professional worrier - worried about her son Billy, daughter Sophie - she senses something wrong but cannot put her finger on it - a mother’s intuition and well, if any more bits drop of Martin’s milk float! Dinner lady, Lollypop lady - she even caters for funerals. Her family do not appreciate her cooking either couscous or sushi for Christmas dinner. Her life is as chaotic as under her sink. I feel she gets some joy out of smashing the hammer on the tap to make it work, maybe it stops her having a meltdown as mums must keep it together! Catherine has the comedy gene and stripping off while dripping wet, standing on your husband’s newspaper that he was just reading and saying “I used to be a sex kitten” needed a lengthy pause for the audience to gather themselves together - just too funny! Kath keeps trying to get the family to talk and we love a trier. Her energy and timing were great - well done!

Chelsea Blundell-Nelson played daughter Sophie. A tough nut and giving nothing away. She teaches Ju-Jitsu to young girls and as her mum says, is inspiring. She enters competitions too and does not suffer fools so when she puts someone in hospital and not the person she was fighting things start to unravel. Playing the angry young woman sometimes ends badly but we see Sophie gradually start to open up. Let’s not excited here I mean very slowly but there is hope. Chelsea played the angst and you got the idea something was going on. Her Mum Kath makes a comment but that could have been lost if Chelsea had not played it out with slight facial movements and signals very subtly played. Her relationship with Pete was complicated - not from his point of view more hers.

I have to say Joel Cheetham playing Pete had it all - just wow! He kept reminding me of people - not just Michael Crawford in Some Mothers Do Have ‘Em! Joel’s Character was like a mysterious angel that comes down and saves the family - you don’t realise how wise he is. The information he reveals about his drug smoking Granny was priceless and buying the pink van. Joel has it all, comedy and pathos entwined to flesh out his character - he was funniest when not speaking - gestures and thought process were there for all to see.  Lovely scene when talking to Sophie about going back to Ju-Jitsu. I just want to believe he will come back from Australia and come back to Sophie.

Well done to Cast, Crew and Committee - it left me wanting more and surely that’s a good sign and by the way I love couscous, Kath.

Thank you from my guest Ursula and I for the hospitality and making us so welcome.

 

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