Review: “The Inheritance”, Noel Coward Theatre, London, 7 November 2018 – Trouper Rating: ***** (Part 1), *** (Part 2) = **** Overall.
My, this is quite a theatrical something. Matthew Lopez’s play is an epic. It’s in two parts, mainly because it’s almost seven hours long. You can book the parts on different nights or if you are feeling brave do a matinee / evening same day whopper. At the end of the first part, there is no curtain call. The lights come up and out you go. An unusual touch.
The story itself takes as it’s foundation EM Forster’s classic novel, Howards End, and applies many of its themes to a group of gay men in 21st Century New York. Set on a bare stage with the cast barefoot, save one: the character of EM Forster himself. Here, played brilliantly and endearingly by Paul Morgan, he interacts with the modern-day characters guiding them quietly to see his themes in their lives. He is a buttoned up English presence in a three piece suit, while the modern protagonists are all T-shirts and laptops in Stephen Daldry’s sparse production.
The 21st Century story element revolves around activist Eric Glass (Kyle Soller) and his relationship with writer Toby Darling, (Andrew Burnap). Kyle is very restrained and square while Toby is attention-seeking and flouncey. Before long, Eric finds himself spending more time with businessman Henry (John Benjamin Hickey) and Toby does similar with a rent boy, Leo (Samuel H Levine).
The first part ends with an emotional wallop and so you are expecting more or similar in the second part and this never really comes. What does come is the appearance of the sole female character, played by Vanessa Redgrave. In the Trouper’s performance, it was understudy Amanda Reed who came on and coped well. However, it would have been nice to have had the Redgrave link to the original Howards End movie. Regardless, the appearance of the only woman should have come with greater significance than it did. There is the sense then that if there had been some serious editing this would have made a belter of three / four hour theatrical odyssey. Or perhaps just finish it after the first part, an ending which resulted in audible sobs from one nearby audience member.