At first glance, Accolade, a play written in the 1950s by Welsh playwright Emlyn Williams, may seem a rather cosy and sedate period drama, but there is a lot more to it than that - as star Ayden Callaghan alluded to in a recent interview.
Indeed, the set expertly resembles that of an English country house in the mid 20th century, including such things as period furniture and a wireless which occasionally broadcasts the news as one would have heard it read circa 1950.
The play features a cast of 10 and stars Ayden Callaghan, best known as Miles De Souza in Emmerdale, as Will Trenting and Honeysuckle Weeks as his wife Rona Trenting.
The plot centres on the recently-knighted Sir Will, an author ‘by trade’, who appears to have it all: a stellar career, a Nobel Prize and the perfect family.
But when a scandal in which he was involved is threatened to be exposed, the harsh realities of success draws him and everyone he knows into a dark and chilling trial-by-media.
The play, which effectively uses music and sound effects to create tension, slowly builds to the unexpected and actually quite shocking revelation - certain moments drew gasps from the audience - from Will’s not-too-distant past, as various different characters are introduced.
They aren’t all your ‘typical’ period drama characters, especially the rather vulgar but often very funny couple Harold and Phyllis - the latter particularly well played by Sarah Twomey.
Louis Holland was excellent too as the Trentings’ trusting son Ian, and Narinder Samra, seen regularly in series eight of Grantchester, exuded presence and charisma as Daker.
In fact, all of the actors did well in their respective roles. Honeysuckle Weeks reminded me a little of Kristin Scott Thomas in Gosford Park in her portrayal of the unshakeable Rona, and it’s also always a pleasure to see Sara Crowe, who many of us remember fondly thanks to her unforgettable turn in Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Events come to a head in the second half and the scenes where a deeply remorseful Will has to try and explain his misdemeanours to his innocent and charmingly naive son are especially moving.
I did feel that the play started to drag on a bit towards the end but it was a satisfying watch all in all, leaving the audience with plenty to think about.
It has been said that despite being written 70 years ago, Accolade is “remarkably relevant” to the present day, and I think I would agree with that.
Catch it at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, where it is on until Saturday (22 June). Tickets, priced £20-£40, are available from cambridgeartstheatre.com.
