The Southbury Child review: this play feels almost ‘heaven-sent’
The piece is deftly directed by Nicholas Hytner and stars three-time Olivier winner Alex Jennings

“Blissfully funny and ineffably touching”, Stephen Beresford’s new play about an Anglican vicar wrangling with his “mutinous” flock would have “worked wonders” with audiences had it reached the stage when it was supposed to, in 2020. Now, after two years of “biblical upset”, it feels almost “heaven-sent”, said Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph.
Alex Jennings plays David, a vicar in Dartmouth who has dug in his heels over a request from a grieving family to decorate his church with Disney balloons for their little girl’s funeral. His apparently “snobby callousness” enrages locals, leading to a stand-off “so tightly enwoven with competing principles and conflicting emotions”, it creates “an almost Ibsenite intensity”.
Yet the play’s wry tone, and its “dexterous” mix of light and dark, “puts you more immediately in mind of Alan Bennett”. It’s beautifully acted and profound, and has a “tear-stirringly cathartic” ending: it’s “my play of the year so far”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The piece is deftly directed by Nicholas Hytner, and three-time Olivier winner Jennings is “majestic” as David, who turns out to be a more complex and flawed figure than he first appears, said Clive Davis in The Times. Indeed, there are first-rate performances from the entire cast, including Phoebe Nicholls as David’s disenchanted yet dogged wife, and Sarah Twomey as the bereaved mum.
At times, the writing becomes too “cluttered”, as if you are “watching a soap opera at warp speed”. But the whole adds up to a “rare and heartfelt” portrait of post-Christian Britain; it is one of those plays that “keeps you talking well into the night”.
Alas, the piece has a fatal flaw: the central dilemma just isn’t entirely credible, said Ryan Gilbey in The Guardian. Jennings is “delightfully witty and urbane” as David, and you just can’t quite believe that this equable man would be so intransigent in the face of devastating grief.
Agreed, said Patrick Marmion in the Daily Mail. This is a good play, but with “fewer gags” and tighter plotting, it could have been even better.
Bridge Theatre, London SE1. Until 27 August
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Can Texas redistricting save the US House for the GOP?
Today's Big Question Trump pushes a 'ruthless' new plan, but it could backfire
-
'No one should be surprised by this cynical strategy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Intellectual property: AI gains at creators' expense
Feature Two federal judges ruled that it is fair use for AI firms to use copyrighted media to train bots
-
Lemon and courgette carbonara recipe
The Week Recommends Zingy and fresh, this pasta is a summer treat
-
Oasis reunited: definitely maybe a triumph
Talking Point The reunion of a band with 'the power of Led Zeppelin' and 'the swagger of the Rolling Stones'
-
Kiefer / Van Gogh: a 'remarkable double act'
The Week Recommends Visit this 'heroic' and 'absurd' exhibition at the Royal Academy until 26 October
-
Mark Billingham shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The novelist and actor shares works by Mark Lewisohn, John Connolly and Gillian Flynn
-
Properties of the week: grand rural residences
The Week Recommends Featuring homes in Wiltshire, Devon, and East Sussex
-
Heads of State: 'a perfect summer movie'
The Week Recommends John Cena and Idris Elba have odd-couple chemistry as the US president and British prime minister
-
The Red Brigades: a 'fascinating insight' into the 'most feared' extremist group of 1970s Italy
The Week Recommends A 'grimly absorbing' history of the group and their attempts to overthrow the Italian state
-
Jurassic World Rebirth: enjoyable sequel hampered by plot holes
Talking Point The latest dinosaur reboot captures the essence of the original – but leans too heavily on 'CGI-heavy set pieces'