Review: The Gatekeeper @ Royal Exchange Theatre – 8 February to 25 February
Tolstoy once said: “All happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
The Gatekeeper isn’t your ordinary family tale; there’s unexpected ups and downs and the audience is kept guessing with every secret that unravels.
Set in the Lake District, a family of four share a rented holiday home for the weekend to celebrate Stacey’s birthday.
But, as more alcohol is consumed too many truths are exhumed from the past and the present and it turns out that nobody has been entirely honest with one another.
Mike and Julia made sure their children Rob and Stacey had the best of everything when they were growing up and now they're adults all they want is to be proud of them.
Stacey is a successful, and cut-throat, marketing executive living in London but her brother Rob is not so successful and it soon becomes apparent that his recent trip to Thailand is not what it seems which sparks a furore between his parents, sister and guest.
However, despite the play’s serious themes there is an element of dark humour carrying it along and the impeccable dialogue makes it downright hilarious at times, a testiment to Moss’ writing.
The audience were audibly touched as they recognised quirky characteristics and infruriating habits reminiscent of their own families.
Playwright, Chloe Moss, said: “I think to some extent all writing is autobiographical – though I would like to point out that my family are nothing like this one.
“It isn’t an academic study of a family and I have tried to show a family in all their faults and all their beauty.”
The play succesfully conveys the challenges of family life and also deals with different social classes and the problems they face.
Due to the layout of The Studio at the Royal Exchange and the close proximity the audience has to the actors makes you feel caught up in the conflict and feel all the awkward silences which ensue when a group of strangers come together.
Sometimes the family feel like strangers to one another because of their differences.
“The theme in the play is the difference between the life you want, the person you want to be and the life you have and the person you are,” Chloe added.
“The play has changed in shape substantially since I started writing. But, at the heart of the play; a family coping with their dysfunction and destruction and love for each other has always remained since the play was first conceived.”
Overall it’s a well-balanced darkly comic story with elements that everyone can relate to and terrific dialogue which brings the play to life.
Chloe Moss, a Manchester Metropolitan University graduate, won the Royal Court Theatre’s Young Writers Award in 2002 with her first play A Day In Dull Armour.
Cast:
Helen Carter – Angela
Kate Coogan – Stacey
Tricia Kelly – Julia
Nick Moss – Rob
Ian Redford - Mike
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