REVIEW: POISONED BEDS at Barons Court Theatre 21 – 25 May 2024

‘a fascinating play, excellently performed by Paula Tinker’ ★★★★

120 years ago, local water companies pumped untreated sewage into Emsworth harbour, the famous home of the finest oyster beds in Europe, causing the destruction of the industry and leaving local people without an income.  Keeping our waters clean is still a hot topic, considering Anglican Water was recently fined by the Environment Agency for allowing pollution to spill into waterways and kill wildlife in the east of England. 

The play written by Lucy Flannery & Greg Moss, seamlessly combines the historical story with several other issues of the times, creating a fascinating play, excellently performed by Paula Tinjker and ably accompanied by musician and lyricist John Gleadall. 

The story is bookended by a concert being prepared by Elizabeth Wells (Paula Tinker) and Mr Finch (John Gleadall) to celebrate women’s suffrage and the end of the Great War. As the preparations ensue Elizabeth tells us her own story which is intrinsically linked with the oyster beds; her working-class origins in a family working on the oyster beds, their gentrification, her bad marriage and her eventual liberation (due in part to oysters).  The story leans in very heavily to show how little agency women had in their lives and how the struggle for equal rights for women was so just.  At the same time, it is made more poignant by Elizabeth’s relationship to all aspects of the oyster industry. 

Some of the material is very dark, but it doesn’t feel heavy handed.   It is so engagingly performed by Tinker, who has a very warm and commanding presence.  The show also benefits from the addition of enjoyable musical numbers, which fit very well with the play, with sea shanties and musical theatre songs.   These are composed by Gleadall who also plays his role as Mr Finch well, creating a pleasing rapport between the pair.

It’s a stripped back show without a set or any noticeable lighting design, ideal for touring, with one caveat. It is a shame that on this occasion the venue didn’t fit well with the setting of the show, which seemed to move between the Emsworth oyster beds and grand houses, hotels and the concert hall. Barons Court theatre is in the cellar and somehow just looked shabby by comparisons with the tale unfolding in our imaginations.  That is not the fault of the venue, but it is a specific space, which needs to be used to its benefit.    The space didn’t work with the show, but it did work with the music as the acoustics are so good.

The evening’s entertainment was in two parts. After an interval, there was a chance for the audience to join in with more ‘songs of the sea’ and to have an informal chat with the performers. Here, Gleadall came into his own, leading a fun session with enthusiasm. (On the night there were some excellent singers, in the room). His knowledge of sea shanty’s is admirable and of course, any questions that people wanted to raise could be addressed at this time.

POISONED BEDS at Barons Court Theatre 21 – 25 May 2024

Written by Lucy Flannery & Greg Mosse

Original music by John Gleadall

Performed by Paula Tinker

Reviewed by Heather Jeffery