Vincent River at Greenwich Theatre

This was my third Philip Ridley plays in a few weeks and while it was the third time I had seen Vincent River it was the first time that I had been to Greenwich Theatre.

Ridley regular Julie was joining us and we arranged to meet in Greenwich at 12:30. Arriving first we chose the artCafe just inside the bustling Greenwich Market.

Coffee consumed, we went for an explore of the old town while looking for somewhere to eat. After walking in pretty circles we ended up at Ruby's of London, almost next door to the first cafe, because they do vegan and plant-based food. The burger was good.

Getting to the theatre I was surprised to see that it had a cafe and bar as there was no mention of this on their website. They need to change that. At least I had time to buy a pint of beer to take in with me.

The auditorium had new seats and plenty of them. On the advice of the box office I had gone for a seat by a side aisle to try and ensure a clear view whoever sat in front of me and I was happy with the result. Seat E9 was a very modest £10.

The set, as expected, was a simple living room with a few unpacked boxes. About the only props used were some cups and a couple of bottles pretending to be gin and tonic.

I knew the story quite well but Ridley fills his script with rich language and I was quickly immersed in the imagery. The setting was a sitting room but the dialogue was of disused railways, hospitals and the signature East London landmarks Victoria Park and the canal.

The play is a gradual unravelling of three lives gently fuelled by intoxicants. The unravelling goes to some dark and violent places lightened with some touching family moments. The mood swings and the revelations keep the play engaging and interesting for 90 rewarding and entertaining minutes.

Vincent River is a two-handed play and Kerrie Taylor as the mother who lost a son to violence and Brandon Kimaryo as the young man who discovered the body were both excellent. Their movement was good too so James Haddrell deserves a mention for his direction.

Vincent River is one of my favourite Ridley plays and this was the best version of it that I have seen.