2 December – 14 January

If there are any tickets left for this brilliant show, grab one! You’ll laugh, smile, possibly shed a tear and leave the theatre humming. Writer and director Isobel Mc Arthur has taken a little-known comedy by Shakespeare’s prolific contemporary, Thomas Heywood, discovered its heart and re- invented it, adapting its adventure and romance into a fable for our time, speaking of a wider human love, manifested through kindness, shared fun and community. Her play is also a homage to that saviour of so many lives, counsellor, diplomat and entrepreneur, the pub landlady.

The action opens in a tavern in Plymouth. Times are hard. The country is at war with Spain and suspicious of foreigners. At the centre is Liz, a tough bar maid who spends much of her time washing bottles and catching rats in the cellar. An unexpected proposal of marriage and a random brawl propel the plot into deepest Cornwall, where Liz sets up her own drinking establishment, aptly named ‘The Open Arms’. After initial struggles, her venture becomes a huge success, and she attracts a motley band of helpers.

While broadly set more than 400 years ago, 21^st century references abound, with some delicious satire on the ‘pub is the hub’ theme involving poetry groups, knitting circles, Karaoke nights and a hilarious set of hopefuls lining up to audition for the entertainment. Music lies at the heart of this joyful evening, with numerous familiar folk and pop standards, brilliantly arranged for voice, acoustic guitar, brass and percussion, as well as an atmospheric underscore during moments of narration and reflection (composed by Michael John McCarthy, directed by Tarek Merchant).

The story has a fairy tale quality, despite being deeply grounded in social and psychological reality. Performances are fast and physical, highly skilled with exceptional comic timing. McArthur clearly had a vision for her production and has seen it realised. It’s unusual for a writer and director to effect both jobs so well.

Leading the onstage pack is the versatile Amber James, powerful and moving as the charismatic heroine, Liz. Her would be lover, Spencer, is a tour de force by Philip Labey, making a remarkable transition from inadequate posh boy to serious contender.

Every character, however minor or archetypical, has their own emotional arc, mostly nudged by Liz.

We meet several regulars, a solitary man in the corner,(Matthew Woodyatt), a storytelling windbag (Tom Babbage), a cowardly ruffian, (Aruhan Galieva), a complicated teenager (Emmy Stonelake). All are flawed, all are exceptional. At a pivotal moment, the hapless King of Spain himself (David Rankine) is transformed through Liz’s wise counsel. There is also a mysterious narrator, (Richard Katz), seen by no one but Liz, who proves critical in her understanding of her own inner journey.

The design ( by Ana Ines Jabares-Pita) shows the same attention to detail. Costumes are based with precision on Elizabethan fashions but with an extravagance and flair that bring its own humour, as well as modern touches to bridge the centuries. Jabares-Pita uses inspiration from her native Spain to take us out of the quintessentially English boozer to a Spanish taverna and tapas bar, via a terrifying encounter with warships at sea. Change of place and mood is effected with light, sound, the use of a few ropes, a wooden counter, and some shiny brass trimmings.

The Swan is the perfect space for this boisterous entertainment. With pub seating on the sides, music in the galleries and dimensions, it is sufficiently intimate to draw the audience into the heart of the drama. The result is theatrical magic.

★★★★★  Ros Carne,  13 December 2023

Photo credit: Ali Wright