Discover how critics are reacting to this revival of Nicholas Wright’s 2002 play, running at the Orange Tree Theatre until the 18th April.
The Guardian: **** “Jeroen Frank Kales makes a pale and knobbly Vincent. His maladroit candour is almost too much for the space, always at risk of scattering the crockery. At first sight, Niamh Cusack’s Ursula is all steady competence: hands moving swiftly over eggs and herbs. But before long, she is drawn and twitchy, Cusack’s rich-layered voice a distraught murmuration.”
Time Out: **** “Niamh Cusack is properly terrific as Ursula. Moving from sharp and orderly to something more open, she gradually allows herself to fall into love. When the black dog hits, she sits with her head in her hands, unable to form words, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes, always on the verge of spilling. The age difference between her and Jeroen Frank Kales’s Vincent is stark. With a mop of thick blonde hair and his inability to keep his mouth shut, Vincent enters a room like a storm. He is Van Gogh before he becomes Van Gogh – at once certain of what is brilliant and worthwhile, and yet, still not properly aware of his own talents.”
WhatsOnStage: **** “In Georgia Green’s beautifully controlled and observed production, Jeroen Frank Kales, making an astonishingly good stage debut, bursts into this household like a wild force, his tactless naivety gradually laying bare the secrets that it holds.”
All That Dazzles: ***** “There is so much to enjoy within this play and within this venue – a setting where an audience feels immersed in a production and where the writing, direction and acting combine to create an absorbing, moving and dramatic piece of theatre.”
Everything Theatre: **** “It’s an intriguing question. What if Van Gogh had stayed in Brixton? He might never have painted Sunflowers or Starry Night. And yet…? Well, you should see the play and make up your own mind.”
The Reviews Hub: ***** “Part of the joy of the play is realising that we are in possession of a secret as yet undiscovered by Vincent himself, who has yet to find his true calling. When we see him in the final act, it’s a shock to find he’s found a calling – it’s just that once again, it’s the wrong one.”
The Arts Desk: **** “Georgia Green performs miracles directing her cast around and through this busy kitchen, somehow avoiding them spilling tea or sprouts in the front row’s laps, and creates the animating tension beautifully. We’re never left in any doubt that Vincent, for all his problems, is on his way up (all that foreshadowing of the post-impressionist hits to come, unrewarded though they were) and that Mrs Loyer will be tortured by depression for the rest of her life.”
Theatre Vibe: “The substance of Nicholas Wright’s play has to be part fact, part conjecture. What was it that made Vincent van Gogh into a great painter? Does genius go hand in hand with mental instability? On record are the letters, wonderfully descriptive of nature and plants and trees, that Vincent exchanged with his younger brother Theo, and something mysteriously referred to by Vincent’s parents as the “secrets at the Loyers”.”
The Stage: *** “Atmospheric but underpowered revival of Nicholas Wright’s Olivier Award-winning drama about Van Gogh’s formative years.”
PlaystoSee.com: ***** “This is one of the very best plays and productions I have seen this year and will be a strong contender for awards, while also confirming once more the reputation of this house for breathing new and compelling life into plays that deserve to be given a voice once more.”
Broadway World: **** “Vincent In Brixton really transports the audience to another world, which tantilises you with what might have been, not just for van Gogh himself, but for all who came into contact with him.”
North West End: ***** “To describe this production as a triumph for director Georgia Green is to do a disservice to the incredible work put in by Green, the cast, and the crew in making this incredibly special experience feel collaborative. Challenging in the best way and as difficult as it is delightful, Vincent in Brixton is well worth the watch.”
London Theatre 1: ***** “Like predators in the wild, these five cast members grip the essence of their characters in their teeth and bite down hard, then confront the audience with the truth of what it means to be afraid, courageous, unstable, hateful and loving all in one ferocious bite. Vincent in Brixton is a must-see. Don’t hesitate, just book a seat. But I fear the entire run may already be sold out.”
The Spy in the Stalls: ***** “This heart belongs to Cusack and Kales. The dynamics seemingly unfeigned and the incongruous passion believably touching. “A woman does not grow old as long as she loves and is loved”, wrote the real Vincent in a letter to his brother. The sentiment is a leitmotif that runs through the play, but it never becomes a sentimental platitude.”
To find out more visit: https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/vincent-in-brixton/