Atonement director Wright steals show at Donmar

After enjoying great success as director of the celebrated films Pride and Prejudice (2005), Atonement and Anna Karenina, Joe Wright has turned his considerable talents to the theatre. Quite clearly everything he learned which made him a success in film is transferrable here, in this touching, loving revival of Trelawny Of The Wells by Arthur Wing Pinero.

Pinero's play was written as his own personal declaration of love for the theatre, and this fondness is something clearly shared by director and cast alike. Set in the 1860s, the cast does a wonderful, witty job of mimicking the hammed-up theatrical style of the era, with Hildegard Bechtler providing the complimentary set and costume designs. A standout performance comes from Ron Cook: hilarious throughout, but capable of bringing a touching emotional depth to his character in the appropriate places. This is an evening of delightful, moving theatre, in a production brimming with talent: be sure to catch it.

What is Trelawny Of The Wells about?

In London in the 1860s, Rose Trelawny is leaving her acting job at Sadler's Wells Theatre. She is marrying into the gentry, but is dismayed by the disapproval she is met with from her fiance's grandfather and great-aunt. They think little of her profession, leaving Rose with a tainted experience of upper-class life.

Eventually she abandons her husband and returns to the theatre, only to find her acting talent gone. The play tells the story of her emotional search for her misplaced love for acting.