After many false dawns the National Theatre of Wales has finally arrived. Its first major production is a rare revival of a long-forgotten John Osborne play "The Devil Inside Him".
The opening preview night at the New Theatre brought a reasonable sized audience out to see this new company and an early work from the writer who changed the course of British theatre with " Look Back In Anger" in the mid 1950's. It was also good to see a lot of students present although having seen the above mentioned play I hope they weren't expecting a barrel of laughs.
I always enjoy seeing a play I know nothing about, especially from a front row seat. We were immediately plunged into an austure 1950's Welsh guest house run by a stern religious father and his fussy down-trodden wife, trying to look after her guests and a rather disturbed son.
The action starts with a lodger making a hasty departure, later we discover following a mis-judged liasion with a young serving girl. This is all serious fare but the introduction of a nosey housemaid ( played to perfection by Rachel Lumberg) provided welcome light relief.
These three older characters naturally represented the establishment Osborne was vehemently opposed to. The introduction of a young doctor, a guest with modern more enlightened views challenged the stifling attitude of the status quo. The centre-piece of the play and the plot was Huw, seen by his father and the local clergy as possessing a filthy, perverted and dangerous mind but regarded by the doctor ( a mesmerising Jamie Ballard) as having a beautiful and profound mind to be encouraged not quashed.
As I rather expected this wordy, yet gripping play proved too old-fashioned for the students who mostly didn't reappear in the second half. This was their loss as the acting ( particularly Helen Griffin and Iwan Rheon) was outstanding and building to a great climax. Osborne was boldly trying to justify Huw's unacceptable actions ( without giving too much away)by treating him as a victim of an oppressive society. I would like to discuss the end of the play but, unfortunately, just as I was thinking they had uncovered a masterpiece, I fainted.
Apart from ruining the ending for myself and a friend ( Rick) I also spoilt it for a doctor ( I'm sure it is compulsory there must always be one in the audience). Even now I have no idea how it ends. I must also thank one of the ushers ( I think Phil) who helped me during a difficult time, allowing me to be fit enough to travel to Madrid the following day.
So, not the ending I was anticipating but I suppose Osborne would have been pleased that half a century after it was written it still has the ability to cause a disturbance in the audience. And worse of all I when I finally got home I realised I had lost my programme. Disaster!!
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