Common Ground stage poignant drama The Father

As it approaches its 25th anniversary, Lincoln-based Common Ground Theatre Company is sticking to its habit of producing a bold range of memorable dramas with The Father.

One of the oldest established drama companies in Lincoln (the musical theatre societies are much older), Common Ground has established a reputation as an open and welcoming group which is committed to producing high-quality yet accessible live theatre.

 Having tackled plays such as Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit in the past, Common Ground is now set to bring Florian Zeller’s thought-provoking and emotional play to the stage.

Cinema buffs may have watched the 2020 film version of the play, which starred Sir Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, which brought an Academy Award to the former in the role of André.

The original play can be seen at the Broadbent Theatre in Wickenby from April 10-12,  with Zeller’s darkly humorous and deeply poignant work, translated from French by Christopher Hampton. It is a tragi-comic mystery as well as a sobering and realistic family story and an unsentimental, emotionally intense look at the world through the eyes of a man experiencing dementia.

In it we meet André, whose declining mental faculties lead to confusion, frustration and a loss of identity. His daughter Anne struggles to balance her love for her father and the need to care for him with the pressures of her own life. Through André’s eyes the audience experiences the dislocation, anxiety and vulnerability associated with dementia and the impact it has on family relationships.

Shot through with moments of heartfelt emotion, humour and beautiful, poignant language, Common Ground’s staging features Jerry Smith as André and Laura Turner as Anne.

“It’s an extraordinary piece of theatre because it cleverly and insidiously forces the audience to see the world through the eyes of André, a charmingly grumpy 80-year-old who’s beginning to lose his grip on reality,” said  the play’s director Jez Ashberry

“I won’t give too much away except to say that at times the audience is as confused and bewildered about what’s going on in André’s life as André is!

“We’ve been rehearsing since the start of the new year and I’m really pleased with how the production is shaping up. We’ve got a brilliant cast featuring two newcomers to Common Ground and an experienced backstage and technical crew. 

“I’m really looking forward to what promises to be a fantastic production!”

Performances begin at 7.30pm and tickets at £13 (£12 concessions) and can be bought online at https://broadbenttheatre.org/events/

the-father/ or by calling 0333 666 3366. Some tickets may also be available on the door.