Grand Horizons

Set against the backdrop of a tidy retirement community, Grand Horizons invites us into a world where appearances are deceptive and emotional complexity lurks just below the surface.  After fifty years of marriage, Nancy calmly announces she wants a divorce.  Her husband, Bill, responds with quiet indifference but their two adult sons are blinded. What follows is an often hilarious unravelling of the assumptions of the family and really of love generally and, in fact, life.  How mother, father and the two adults sons, along with a pregnant daughter-in-law, try to settles things makes for an entertaining night but also brings some key topics more to the minds of the audience members.

Director Phil Carney used the simple set and generally experienced cast to build the required mood quite successfully indeed. When the wall collapsed after the car crash, everyone was in a state of shock. That showed how well the direction was working. Eddie Bruce was an effective uncaring husband and father (Bill French) while Linda Morgan as the old mother could have been a little more relaxed as she set the mood and tone. Of the family, Tyson Hargraves was really good in the masterful portrayal of son Brian while Erik de Watt (Ben French) was a strong contrast.  What a family of four this was. As the play developed, it displayed the stress and pressure that builds in a family with unaware emotions and thoughts.  It made us all think about our own emotions and family relationships.

Another good night at Nash Theatre and it may get even better as the run progresses.

William Davies