Director James Haddrell can be proud of this fine first revival for Nick Payne’s 2011 play, “refreshed” by the playwright himself. I’m happy to boast about being a fan long before his breakthrough play Constellations. While it’s interesting to see connections with Payne’s mega hit, let’s be clear that One Day When We Were Young stands on its own and is strong work.
We see Leonard and Violet at three points in their life: as a young couple the night before he is conscripted to fight in World War II, a little after his return from a POW camp when Violet has married someone else, and then much later, towards the end their lives. These are snapshots, but it is a marvel how much we learn from these complex and relatable characters.
Leonard and Violet are tremendous, if challenging roles. While showing the breadth of Payne’s skill, it’s a lot for the performers to pull off. Thankfully, Cassie Bradley and Barney White, who take the roles, are marvellous. Getting them to fuss around with a set, clever as Pollyanna Elston’s design is, probably isn’t worth it. And if there’s a little struggle with the final scene as very old people, both bring out the romance and sadness in each timescale, appreciating the nuances of the script and its underlying melancholy.
This is a quiet play. If you said slow, I wouldn’t argue. But the pace shows confidence. A small, simple story about ordinary people is surprisingly rare. Class is a topic handled carefully (Leonard is a butcher’s boy while Violet’s parents own a shop) and Payne’s observations are keen but never pressured.
It’s the dialogue that really makes One Day When We Were Young work. Payne’s humour is delicate (might it have been encouraged more?) and there’s a naturalness to these conversations, regardless of the tense situations and emotions, that is powerful. Aspirations, hesitations, reservations are all carefully explored in a show that is a well-crafted treasure.
Until 22 March 2025
Photo by Danny Kaan