Review: The Forsyte Saga (Park Theatre)

Review by Izzy Tierney

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The Park Theatre has quickly become one of my favourite theatres - it makes great pizzas (which is obviously the most important thing), has lovely staff, and is fully accessible. Their latest production begins in 1886 where two sagas, spanning three generations and four decades, tell the tale of the ‘new money’ Forsyte family as they battle the need to possess power and wealth with the desire for love and autonomy. John Galsworthy’s novels are classics, yet knowing nothing of the plot meant I was intrigued to uncover whatever secrets the Forsytes had tried their best to bury.

Adapted for the stage by Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan, the plays are shown on alternate evenings or consecutively on matinee days; both written to work together as a series and as two stand alone shows, Irene and Fleur. McKenna and Coghlan’s first adaptation of The Forsyte Saga was in the form of a radio show, airing in 2016 for BBC Radio 4 and accumulating an enormous fifteen hours of storytelling. Condensing this down into a total of four hours runs the risk of a rushed production, yet the pacing is perfect, with every bit of dialogue being essential, and every thread in the chaotic lives of the Forsytes being masterfully untangled and explained.

(If mentions of sexual assault may be triggering for you, please skip the next paragraph.)

The characters are fully fleshed, each treated as nuanced individuals with their best and worst traits on full display, without ever slipping into the black and white binaries of good and evil. It’s unsettling to watch Soames be a kind and caring father after witnessing him brutally raping his wife (or “asserting his marital right” as he puts it) but McKenna and Coghlan navigate this storyline with a great amount of care and understanding. They make it clear that the blame lies solely with the perpetrator and not the victim, but without falling into harmful cliches or tropes, keeping the narrative grounded and therefore more meaningful.

Despite some heavier scenes, the shows make a really enjoyable and satisfying watch. Both parts are compelling, with equal amounts of drama and comedy dripping in sarcasm and consistently witty one liners that form a spectacular piece of theatre.

Enhancing the script is the simplistic set and costume design by Anna Yates. A royal red carpet and carefully thought out costumes fill the already intimate Park200, but with the only real props being chairs, the stage blends out into the audience and complements the lack of fourth wall beautifully, with the narration by Fleur feeling more like a friend inviting you into her and her family’s lives. The actors simply look out at the audience or at the walls when they are admiring something like a painting or a gorgeous landscape, allowing both the script and actors’ deliveries to shine as they carve these images into the audience’s minds, until you almost forget that you're looking at a curtain instead of a newly built house in the countryside.

Alex Musgrave further inspires the imagination of the audience with his fantastic lighting design, used expertly to portray pretty much everything from tangible things like doors and fire to different atmospheres and emotional states of the characters and their relationships. Combined with Max Pappenheim’s sound design, the lighting and sound are both cleverly constructed and very useful, allowing you to know throughout the shows where and what kind of time each scene is taking place, without the actual set needing to change. Making brilliant use of the space is Josh Roche, whose direction makes the plays almost seem immersive. The walkways to exit the theatre are constantly in use and the actors move around the small stage with just a few steps that feel like miles. The decision to also have actors onstage whose characters aren’t actually part of that specific scene creates the sensation of a family so twisted in secrets and avoidance that it’s become almost claustrophobic. A particularly effective piece of Roche’s direction is a scene where history repeats itself on the dancefloor, and the memory from Irene (part 1) collides with the event currently unfolding in Fleur (part 2) over twenty years later.

Bringing all of this to life is a stellar cast of nine actors who play a total of twenty two characters across both parts of the saga. If you get a bit lost with all the different names (yes, there are three generations of Jolyon Forsyte, shortened to Jo and Jon, because why wouldn't there be?) you’re not the only one. It is much clearer seeing them in person, and the programme has a lovely Forsyte Family Tree which I can confirm is very helpful!

Fiona Hampton has exceptional range as Irene, the unhappy wife of Joseph Millson’s Soames Forsyte who no matter how hard she tries, simply can’t love him. Her pain and anguish is palpable, almost reverberating around the theatre; her confidence hypnotising; her happiness infectious and capturing the hearts of the audience. Millson does an impressive job as Soames, a man that the audience pity and actively dislike and who only cares about owning property (his wife of course included), yet he still manages to elicit laughs when he makes a sarcastic remark or pulls a funny facial expression. It can be difficult to play an unlikeable character without the audience becoming bored or annoyed with you, but Soames remains an interesting character to watch, regardless of his actions.

Flora Spencer-Longhurst plays Fleur, the daughter of Soames who, along with the audience, goes on a journey to discover what caused the Forsyte family to split and find out whether the younger generation of Forsytes can break the cycle. Fleur isn’t yet born in part 1, standing amongst her future family like a ghost, simply watching and making sense of what she sees. She acts almost like a tour guide to her family’s history, her effortless charisma ensuring all eyes are on her as she injects heart, humour and horror into her narration. In part 2, Fleur is both a main character in the story and narrating, a dual role that allows Spencer-Longhurst to display her talent on a wider scale as we watch her character develop, her psyche change and her performance remain mesmerising.

Another joy to watch is Florence Roberts as June Forsyte, who with a heartwarming smile bounces around the stage like a confident, optimistic and ever curious “terrier” as she describes herself, before going on to portray Annette and Anne, delivering three fantastic performances. Jamie Wilkes radiates warmth, bringing an instantly lovable quality to his portrayal of Jo Forsyte and subsequently Michael Mont, with the audience audibly rooting for and empathising with both characters. Jo shows a healthier version of masculinity that is severely lacking in Soames, meaning their scenes together are electric, like the stark difference between them causes enough friction to generate sparks. Michael Mont is sweet and kind, loving Fleur wholeheartedly and never treating her with anything but respect. Wilkes gets a chance to show off his superb physical comedy as Michael attempts to take Fleur across the river in a bid to impress her, using two chairs as a boat and almost knocking her out with the oar.

The other romantics are Philip Bosinney and Jon Forsyte, both played by Andy Rush, who throughout both performances shows a large deal of conflicting emotions through his facial expressions. Emma Amos and Nigel Hastings do wonderful jobs with both of their roles, particularly in part 2 where they play the older June and Jo Forsyte, impressively matching the mannerisms and tones of Roberts and Wilkes’ younger versions that it took little time for the audience to adjust. Completing the cast is Michael Lumsden, who wins the award for most characters played with seven different roles, the stand out one being Jolyon Forsyte who is a kind and gentle older man. Every member of this cast has superb comedic timing and excellent chemistry with one another, and I left the theatre feeling lucky I had got to witness them making magic while honing their craft.

The Forsyte Saga is magnificent. For the full experience, I really recommend seeing both Irene and Fleur. Whilst the narrative of each is independently concluded, the emotion and attachment to the characters are enriched by watching Irene flow so seamlessly into Fleur, and the deeper understanding of the Forsytes proving more rewarding and moving. I was genuinely sad once it ended, the same kind of feeling you get when you've just binge watched a new TV series, fallen in love with it and then found out there won’t be another season. I’m already thinking about what might happen in my own hypothetical part 3, maybe even part 4... honestly, why not have 10?

The Forsyte Saga plays at the Park Theatre until December 7th

For tickets and information visit https://parktheatre.co.uk/event/the-forsyte-saga-parts-1-and-2/

Photos by Mitzi De Margary