The Sea review – Jennifer Saunders takes fussing over buying curtains to Shakespearean levels

By Holly O'Mahony · The Guardian Culture

Theatre Royal Bath Edward Bond’s play about consumerism and the strength of humans in dark times is hugely enlivened by Saunders and her tight-lipped pomposity When describing his own play, the late playwright Edward Bond said he wanted The Sea to deal with tragedy, be a comedy and end with people being as honest and open as they could. Jonathan Munby’s production – the first major revival in almost 20 years – begins by offering its audience a view that would ordinarily be obscured: we’re plunged underwater to where the seafaring Colin (Elliot Goodhill) hangs suspended from a rope, fighting for his life, as the waves of Luke Halls’ impressive videography engulf him. It’s a fitting opening sequence for a play that subsequently demands its audience look beneath the surface to find meaning in seemingly trivial interactions. It’s jarring when, come the following scene, we’re flung into a draper’s shop, where Jennifer Saunders’ avaricious, egotistical Mrs Rafi is fussing over curtain material. But Bond understood consumerism as a distraction from the pain and absurdity of life. Similarly, his characters sing their hymns ever louder when there’s gunfire in the distance. They also stage an annual play to raise money for their seaside village’s coastguards, while maintaining distance from any trouble their beneficiaries face on the ground. Continue reading...