Review: The Homecoming, Theatre Royal Bath – ‘Must-catch production of a disturbing beast of a work’

It’s not a ‘nice’ play, The Homecoming. It’s about a frankly terrifying household where most of the men are toxic fantasists with very messed-up ideas about women. One of the women in their lives is a dead mother and the other is their madonna-whore wife, daughter- and sister-in-law.

And as you might expect from Pinter, it has all the structure of mercury: disjointed, far-flung globules of people who must by the end gather and become one meaningful whole.

What does this do to the audience? For those who bought tickets because it stars Mathew Horne “that sweet one from Gavin and Stacey” (and upcoming feature, The Nan Movie), it might be an uncomfortable watch.

This has more in common with faint-inducing Sarah Kane dramas than with BBC Christmas Day Specials. The script’s unashamedly misogynistic bile made many women in the audience giggle uneasily, hoping perhaps for punchlines that never came. Pinter doesn’t like to ‘kiss it better’.

Here’s the set-up: two generations of men share the home of the generation dead and buried. There’s Max (Keith Allen) and his chauffeur brother Sam (Ian Bartholomew), and Max’s sons, Lenny (Horne) and wannabe-boxer Joey (Geoffrey Lumb).

In the middle of the night, Max’s oldest son Teddy (Sam Alexander) and his wife of 6 years Ruth (Shanaya Rafaat) – who themselves have three young sons – arrive from Venice before heading back to the US. They plan to stay for just a few days.

Mathew Horne as Lenny and Sam Alexander as Teddy – photo: Manuel Harlan

Ruth is an unexpected power in this male space. She smashes expected norms of female behaviour to the point where the men are left confused and adrift: do they really have power over her if she does the things they want, of her own free will? In fact, as we see in her interactions with each of them, where does her will end and theirs begin?

Glover’s production takes a little time to feel sure on its feet – and this is of course partly about the space Pinter demands while we’re introduced to this family. But while it’s great to see two big names – Horne and Allen – talk at each other unpleasantly from the offset in lengthy character-exposing monologues, it’s a tough dramatic ask, and it doesn’t quite come off. However, once the ensemble’s established and Ruth starts making her mark, it’s utterly absorbing and fully pays off.

Shayana Rafatt (Ruth) is stand-out marvellous. This role demands treading a fine line and it can go badly wrong. She emanates dignity, power, poise and self-belief. She’s a fascinating watch and deserves top billing and plaudits galore.

In contrast, Glover keeps Allen’s Max (grumpy, volatile and threatening) and Horne’s Lenny (a threatening mix of Clockwork Orange and Camberwell Carrot) playing on the surface, with any deeper character nuances kept at bay.

Shanaya Rafaat as Ruth, Mathew Horne as Lenny and Keith Allen as Max – photo: Manuel Harlan

Geoffrey Lumb’s gentle giant Joey and, in particular, Ian Bartholomew’s Sam, are beautifully played. They’re likeable, but still complicit in the sniper’s war that is this family. You lament for them, stuck in such a toxic family prison (stunningly evoked in designer Liz Ashcroft’s gloweringly dingy set, gloomily lit by Johanna Town).

The last fascinating character is Ruth’s husband, oldest son Teddy, played by Sam Alexander. He’s the educated, well-spoken one who got out, then returned with his prize, and handed her over. The ‘homecoming’ is his. Alexander plays his rôle with intriguing heart.

As Ruth does, he makes you wonder: no matter how different we seem on the outside and how far away we get, are we all doomed to plod out our family’s eternal dance steps? And what, really, is this thing we call “home”?

No; The Homecoming is not a ‘nice’ play. But this is a must-catch production of a disturbing beast of a work that – at almost 60 years old – should leave you wondering about men, women, and who they – and we –  think they are.

Sam Alexander as Teddy, Mathew Horne as Lenny and Ian Bartholomew as Sam – photo: Manuel Harlan

The Homecoming is at Theatre Royal Bath on March 30-April 9 at 7.30pm, with 2.30pm matinee shows on Wednesday and Saturday (not March 30). Tickets are available at www.theatreroyal.org.uk.

Main photo: Manuel Harlan

Read more: Review: Animal Farm, Theatre Royal Bath – ‘It may stay with you for a lifetime’

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