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REVIEW | The Gathered Leaves, Park Theatre - London
- Harry Brogan
- Aug 20
- 3 min read
AD | tickets gifted in exchange of an honest review
Andrew Keatley’s The Gathered Leaves, revived at the Park Theatre, is a family drama that delicately balances poignancy and predictability. Directed by Adrian Noble, it offers an earnest exploration of generational divides, memory, and reconciliation, with a production that is quietly effective, if occasionally limited.
The design (by Dick Bird) embraces a simplistic but effective drawing-room set, a space that feels appropriately lived-in and weighted with the history of the Pennington family. The consistency of this environment, while grounding, comes at a cost. With no significant changes to the set itself, it sometimes becomes difficult to orient oneself in the story—particularly in moments when the action shifts subtly between times of day or when past and present blur. Props help mark transitions, but they don’t always fully guide the audience through the narrative.
Lighting (by Paul Pyant) is more successful: warm washes enhance the intimacy of domestic confrontations, while cooler tones heighten tension. Particularly effective are the spotlights used to freeze characters in poignant moments before blackouts, giving the audience a chance to breathe in the weight of each scene.
One of the production’s strengths is its quick, witty humour. The sharp remarks of Simon, played with lively comic timing by George Lorimer, cut through silences and provided comic relief that often had the audience laughing out loud. These moments of levity balanced the more solemn themes, making the drama feel authentic and relatable.
The ensemble cast are uniformly professional and convincing, with performances that are impactful, moving, and realistic. Jonathan Hyde gives William, the patriarch slipping into dementia, both authority and vulnerability. Joanne Pearce shines as Olivia, his long-suffering wife, offering warmth and resilience that often quietly steals scenes. Richard Stirling delivers a touching performance as Samuel, the autistic son—though at first his portrayal risks leaning into stereotype, it evolves into something layered and humane. His relationship with his brother Giles (Chris Larkin) is especially affective: Giles knows Samuel best, protects him no matter what, and understands how to calm him down. Their bond carries the emotional truth of the line, “That’s what brothers are for.” Olivia Vinall brings grace to Alice, whose piano scene—gradually joined by each family member in silence—is one of the production’s most moving images. Taneetrah Porter rounds out the cast as Aurelia with a fresh, engaging presence.
The production also resonates with its 1990s setting, offering situations and arguments that feel both rooted in their time and universally relatable. Shifting sympathies are part of the experience: one moment you find yourself agreeing with a character, only to have your perspective challenged in the next. This constant recalibration keeps the drama alive.
Some of the most memorable scenes are deeply moving, and lines of dialogue echo long after, particularly the quietly profound reminder that “worrying about things gives it a big shadow.” By contrast, the second half feels rushed. The build-up to the birthday celebration suggests a bigger emotional release than what is delivered, and the birthday cake moment in particular fizzles where it should explode. The abrupt ending, though open to interpretation, lands inconclusively, leaving a sense of unfinished business.
Ultimately, The Gathered Leaves is a production of contrasts: emotionally resonant performances and thoughtful staging against a script that sometimes feels safe and structurally uneven. It lingers gently rather than lands forcefully, but it has moments of real beauty, humour, and heart.
★★★.5
The Gathered Leaves plays at the Park Theatre until 20th of September
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