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No country for old women: Old Ladies - at Finborough Theatre

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The day after seeing The Old Ladies at the Finborough Theatre , I was describing the play to someone in great detail: about three old ladies who lived in a rickety house in southern England in 1935. Based on Hugh Walpole’s novel and adapted by Rodney Ackland, it is the sort of story with enough believability, humour and mild thriller to stick in your mind. Perhaps it is the lure of this dark, forboding tale of a life without money, to be alone and to be old, that makes you feel attracted to this poverty porn. But then again, given the state of the world, the cost of living, an ageing population, or just the fact that it’s a dog-eat-dog world, it might as well be an every little old lady-for-herself, too. It’s a well-acted and staged piece that moves at a brisk pace, so there isn’t much time to think about it too much. And in the intimate (or should that be claustrophobic?) space of the Finborough, there’s nowhere to avert your eyes. Even if you wanted to.  The scene is a grim Cathe...

Partying on: J’Ouvert @Theatre503


The shadow of Grenfell looms large in J’Ouvert, It fills Theatre 503 with the colour and flavour of the Notting Hill carnival. It’s an epic and personal experience of three women during one day at the event. With its intricate storylines and sharp observations about life in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, it’s an impressive debut from writer Yasmin Joseph. Even with what appears to have been a difficult journey to bring it to the stage.

In the piece, three women play a range of characters. Two are best friends and locals who have been going to the carnival forever. Another girl has joined them for reasons that become clear later. As they spend the day trying to get a drink and a dance. And some overpriced food, the characters that make up the event come to the fore. What becomes clear is a slice of life of the need to party, the need to be angry and the need to get on with their lives, without harassment or violence looming large.


There are the old timers who have seen it all before, the young boys looking for trouble, the men trying to slut shame the women and the reporters looking for cliches. Everything gets a look in here.

Unfortunately, during the rehearsal process, problems led to last-minute cast changes. With the actor playing the central character remaining on-book, it felt more like a staged reading and difficult to appreciate it fully.

The name of the play comes from the meaning of daybreak when Caribbean festivals (such as the Notting Hill Carnival) are typically held.

But hopefully, there is a long future for this piece. The intimate space of Theatre 503 makes this epic story feel like the party is just getting started. It deserves a much bigger, reimagined production somewhere soon to match the ambition and scale of the story being told.

Directed by Rebekah Murrel, J’Ouvert is at Theatre 503 until 22 June.

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