Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review
If you are amongst a legion of students over the last few decades, it is likely that you studied John Steinbeck’s seminal novella Of Mice And Men during your time at school. Many of us have not interacted with the text since, however with the text recently hitting the news again as exam boards consider striking it from their curriculums in recent years, this feels like the perfect time to explore the story and its relevance. Sarah Brigham and Derby Theatre do just that in their current production.
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| Photo by Pamela Raith Photography |
The story explores the friendship between our two very different protagonists; George and Lennie. George is small yet intelligent whilst Lenny is much larger, totally unaware of his strength and with today’s vocabulary, neurodivergent. George takes excellent care of Lennie but it becomes quickly apparent that his physical strength will become a problem, particularly as he is so unaware of it.
The pair work on a ranch and chase the American Dream, both longing to own and run their own ranch together one day. As the pair work on the ranch, they interact with other characters including Curly, Candy, Crooks and the pointedly named ‘Curly’s Wife’. Each of these characters represent prejudices and problems of the time and further reinforce the feelings of loneliness and hopelessness on the ranch. As the play’s tragic events unfold, Steinbeck presents us with the dangers of the Great Depression and, more generally, of isolation. It is a story which at its heart is about people, friendship and about the importance of human connection; something which transcends time itself.
The casting of this production is immaculate and particular praise must be given to casting director Liv Barr. It’s diversity is never tokenistic, instead bringing actors that are able to provide real nuance and experience to their performances. Wiliam Young as Lennie was absolute perfection; I’ve never felt quite such empathy for this character before this interpretation. Liam King plays George in perfect contrast; he is fiercely loyal, protective and sensitive in equal measure. The way his tears filled his eyes in the play’s final events was simply moving. The relationship these actors portray brought such warmth to the stage, mirroring the care and respect these actors clearly had for each other off stage too.
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| Photo by Pamela Raith Photography |
Another outstanding performance came from Benjamin Wilson as Candy. Both character and actor are blind, bringing yet again a real sense of understanding to this character, and Wilson’s command of the stage and stage presence every time he was on stage was superb. We see a real vulnerable side to Candy particularly when his old dog is killed; a foreshadowing and reflection of the treatment of people with disabilities in this time. In contrast, we also see some real excitement when Candy joins the dreams of the ranch. The hope emanating from Wilson in these scenes makes the play’s ending all the more emotional.
The character of Crooks is played by the wonderful Jeff Alexander. In Alexander’s performance we see Crook’s desperation for other people to feel as isolated and neglected as he has been. The rage of this character really comes through and yet we as an audience are able to truly understand where these outbursts come from.
Curly’s wife is played brilliantly Emma Charlton. When reading the book, I remember thinking about how coquettish and flirtatious this character was portrayed as, however in Charlton’s performance I saw a very different view of this character. She is naive, she is totally desperate for
conversation and companionship and she has hopes and dreams of stardom of her own. There is a stark contrast between her and Curly, played by Stefan Race, who is utterly unlikeable (skillfully so through Race’s performance).
Another memorable performance for me came from Laurence Pears as Slim. Slim is level-headed, empathetic and sensible in this portrayal and brings a more rounded view of characters who at times appear an allegory for larger world issues. Subtle moments from Pears’ performance, again
particularly in the play’s last scene, make us as an audience feel that George at least has some support and put us at ease.
Making up the cast are Afton Moran as Whit, John Elkington as The Boss, and Tom Fletcher as Carlson, who all gave great supporting performances.
One thing this production did very well with was its use of silence. The cast were not afraid to give longer than typical moments of silence that made the audience shift uncomfortably, mirroring the feelings of the characters themselves. This was contrasted with the lovely use of music during the ‘dream’ conversations that provided a real shift in tone between the dire ‘now’ and the hopeful ‘what ifs’. The production also leaned into the many moments of foreshadowing in the source material; these moments of silence reinforced these and gave the audience time to reflect on their significance. The use of puppetry was minimal but impactful and the set design clever in its simplicity.
There is a question of whether a source material such as this has a place for a modern day audience. On the one hand, society has- thankfully- moved away from some of the views and prejudices that this show portrays, particularly in the treatment of people of colour, of women and of people with neurodivergence. There is an argument, then, that this story is too far removed from the world we live in today and that audiences may struggle to relate to its events, and that in addition some of the language used in the play would be upsetting to many. Derby Theatre do handle this issue with sensitivity and care, replacing instances of a particularly offensive racial slur with the phrase ‘coloured’. This serves to highlight the acts of racism in the text with integrity
whilst making it slightly more comfortable to consume as an audience member.
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| Photo by Pamela Raith Photography |
On the other hand, though, this play is a real product of its time in a helpful way; the viewpoints it portrays are a fantastic history lesson and remind us of how far we have come as a society. It can also be used as a spring board for beginning difficult discussions; art is at times the perfect way
of introducing rhetoric around vital yet uncomfortable topics.
Despite this argument, I think that there are themes running through this play that are integral to explore for an audience of every time period. The ideas of longing and of dreaming, especially for something unachievable, of friendship and of the barriers that prejudices create are inescapable in today’s world. As Derby Theatre’s production shows us, this show has the power to move and to resonate with audiences as much now as it did in 1930’s America. It is at its heart a play about friendship and about the vitality and life-saving power of human connection; messages which are portrayed powerfully in this production in particular.
Of Mice and Men plays at Derby Theatre until Saturday 1st March and tickets are available from
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Please note that the show has an age guidance of 13+ due to some scenes and themes that younger viewers may find upsetting. This depiction of Steinbeck’s novel is true to the source material and therefore does include scenes of racism, sexism, ableism and violence towards humans and animals.
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