Theatre Groups’ ‘Things I Know to be True’: An Ambitious Take on Love in its Many Forms

Harry Daisley, Year 1

All images by Abby Swain.

My dad was in Leeds for the weekend on a work trip when I got a message asking whether I would be interested in reviewing Theatre Group’s production of ‘Things I Know to be True’ by Andrew Bovell. I punched in a text asking if he wanted to take a break from the antics of work and watch a bit of theatre. Now, for context, my father is not one to typically enjoy theatre. In fact, it has become quite a common occurrence that he falls asleep during shows. He would much rather get absorbed into a James Bond-esque thriller boxset or a Netflix true crime documentary but that evening he took a chance on director Jamie Walker’s take on ‘Things I Know to be True,’ and it did not disappoint.

Bovell’s play takes an intimate look at a grown up family in crisis, where four children Pip, Rosie, Mark and Ben and their parents Bob and Fran uncover their own secrets and flaws piece by piece. Each has their own unique struggles that redefine the family dynamic, one member at a time. And when tragedy strikes, the family unit is forced to wrestle  and come to terms with the things they know to be true. 

The play begins with an introduction to Rosie Price played effortlessly by Niamh Walter, who is planning to return home after a gap year in Europe. Immediately, the production appears smooth and professional. Each move, sentence and emotion seems choreographed and considered, assuring the audience that they are in for a slick performance. Niamh captures the whimsical nature of Rosie beautifully and keeps the audience hanging onto each line despite the length of the monologue. This is complemented by Walker’s directorial style which shines from the word go. Simple yet effective physical theatre components, similar to those used in Frantic Assembly’s take on the same show, give Rosie’s lines weight and a sense of journey, immersing the audience into the drama that is to unfold. 

We are later introduced to the family as a whole and enjoy impressive performances from the cast. From her entrance, Meg Ferguson’s portrayal of Fran is striking, capturing the layered nature of the character, including her role and motives as a mother, wife and friend to the characters around her. The level of detail and precision in her character helped to bring the plot to life. Characters seemed to orbit Fran’s large persona to the extent that Ferguson’s portrayal became the beating heart of the play, only making the play’s final moments all the more tragic. Ferguson’s performance was accompanied by a delightful performance by Josh Murphy as Bob. The married couple were convincing and delivered tender performances throughout, adding to the realism of the family dynamic being observed. 

Exemplar performances continued with Erin Carney’s depiction of Pip. Carney transmitted Pip’s desire for freedom and passion over simplicity and regret remarkably. This coupled with daring choices made by directors Walker and Poole made Pip’s performance all the more vivid. A particularly distinct moment was the heart breaking reading of Pip’s letter to her mother. Here, Pip sheds light on her mother’s unorthodox parenting style and the mark this left on her psyche. Both Carney and Ferguson stunned the theatre into silence with their sombre characterisation. These subtle moments, peppered throughout the fast paced script were certainly highlights. If anything, I would have liked to have seen more of these instants of stillness to give time for the audience to digest the progressive crumbling of the family at hand. 

The cast certainly rose to Bovell’s challenging script, tackling difficult themes such as drug abuse through Ben’s (Seb De Pury) narrative and Mark’s (Evan Harris) wish to live as a woman. Both actors delivered such plot points with maturity and skill, injecting the production with a much needed sense of intimacy. 

But what really elevated Walker’s vision and the skill of the actors was the design. The team (Dec Kelly, Hannah Rooney, Liv Taylor-Goy and Annie King-Ferguson) turned the play into a fully realised production. The stage was beautifully set to resemble a suburban home, complete with a rose garden and kitchen, elegantly abstracted by hanging wire bulbs that descending onto the stage. It gave a strong, sleek impression on audience members as they entered the theatre. Kelly’s lighting design aided moments of intense emotion while the existing score by Nils Frahm used kept scenes fresh and dynamic. In short, the production was excellently crafted for a student production, taking all the best bits from Frantic Assembly’s version of the play. 

In essence, Theatre Group’s ‘Things I Know to be True’ truly was a triumph. The mature acting coupled with skilled directing and seamless production design led to the striking telling of an expertly written script. The team should be very proud of their accomplishments.