Review of Vincent in Brixton

"Before the days of absinthe..." by Anya Hastwell for remotegoat on 28/05/09

In the days before absinthe, sunflowers and severed ears, Vincent van Gogh was a young Dutchman and unknown art dealer, living in 87 Hackford Road, Brixton. Vincent (Mark Edel-Hunt) is a young man brimming with enthusiasm and ambition to succeed in the art world – along with a definite case of religious fervour. His is taken in by his middle-aged landlady (Lin Blakley) who runs a school in the same house along with her daughter, Eugenie (Amy Ellen Richardson), who also lives there.

The onstage set quite impressively didn’t shake, or wobble, and the continuously steaming kettle on the hob was a nice touch. Adding to the house party is Sam, a lodger whose clandestine relationship with Eugenie is the bane and fascination of young Vincent – who falls in love with Eugenie at first sight. After confessing his feelings for her to Ursula, she orders that he must leave. He vows to keep his feelings to himself in order to stay there, and writes letters to his brother Theo as an emotional outlet whilst growing gradually more neurotic. Vincent goes to visit his family – and returns with his younger, more irritating sister Anna (Nicola Sangster) in tow. Vincent meanwhile moves into the box room while his sister takes his room, obsessively cleaning the house while indiscreetly prying into the affair between Sam and Eugenie, who have no plans for marriage. In the meantime, Vincent finds his feelings transferred to Ursula instead, somewhat conveniently, and coins the immortal line: “a woman does not grow old as long as she loves and is loved.”

In places, this play is a little dry, although there’s a subtle humour running all the way through, it would appeal most to van Gogh fans. I confess I was looking forward to seeing some interpretations of Vincent’s alcoholic absinthe-fuelled insanity, but you can’t have everything in life I suppose. This play is a must-see if you want to understand what drove the young van Gogh; his occasionally fanatical religious beliefs; and his introduction to women, which was by one much older than himself.

Event Venues & Times
finished	Buxton Opera House | Water Street, Buxton, SK17 6XN
finished	Theatre Royal | 32 Thames Street, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1PS
finished	Yvonne Arnaud | Millbrook, Guildford, GU1 3UX
finished	Northcott Theatre | Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QB
finished	Macrobert | University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA
finished	Harrogate Theatre | Oxford Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 1QF
finished	Adam Smith Theatre | Bennochy Road, Kirkcaldy, KY1 1ET
finished	Seckford Theatre | Burkitt Road, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4JH
finished	Devonshire Park Theatre | Compton Street, Eastbourne, BN21 4LP

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