Donmar heads west

IT WAS back in January that I saw the Donmar Warehouse's astonishing production Be Near Me and three months on it still resonates, writes Lee Trewhela.

Cornish audiences have the chance to see this compelling play when it comes to the Hall for Cornwall from Tuesday, May 12, to Saturday, May 16.

Based on the Booker Prize nominated novel by Andrew Hagan, this story about love, morality and regret has been adapted for stage by actor Ian McDiarmid and is a co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland.

It won terrific reviews when it premiered at the Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock and at London's Donmar.

David Anderton, an Oxford-educated Catholic priest, is assigned to a parish in a dispirited Scottish town on the Ayrshire coast. Lonely and adrift he befriends two unstable teenagers from the local school and is drawn into their exotic world. As events spin out of control he is forced to face his greatest trial yet.

Who knew such devastation could come from sharing a beer and a spliff...

Ian McDiarmid himself gives a powerful performance as Anderton alongside a highly talented cast that includes Jimmy Chisholm, Blythe Duff, Kathryn Howden, David McGranaghan, Richard Madden, Helen Mallon, Colette O'Neil, Benny Young and Jimmy Yuill.

Ian returns to the Donmar, where he was directed by Michael Grandage in John Gabriel Borkmam and Pirandello's Henry IV. As well as extensive work at the Almeida where he was also joint artistic director, his other credits include performances at the RSC and the Royal Exchange, Manchester, and his many films include Sleepy Hollow, Restoration, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and the Star Wars series in which he plays the evil Emperor.

He told me: "I found the book gripping and as I read it I thought Father David was a man I'd like to play. The fact that he is a bit of an actor probably had something to do with it.

"There's something very flawed and very real about him – he can be incredibly likeable but can also do some unlikeable things – he's a complex character."

The book and central character came to mean so much to him, that Ian took it upon himself to adapt it for the stage.

"It's a poetic book and I wanted it to be carried over into a dreamlike, almost Pinter-esque play.

"In the books there's much mention of music, so I thought bringing sectarian music into it would almost work as another character."

The use of these, often shocking, songs is one of the standouts of the play.

Author and journalist O'Hagan added: "Ian has been very loyal to the text while dropping moments that make it much more propulsive as a theatrical work. There are so many additions that thrill me – the use of music is a resounding success."

A member of the cast excited about coming to Cornwall is Jimmy Yuill, who plays the Bishop, a pivotal character in the central, wonderfully charged dinner party scene.

Jimmy is well-known for his work on TV's Taggart and films such as Braveheart and Mrs Brown. To Cornish audiences he is most renowned for the five series of Wycliffe, which were filmed in the county.

He told me: "On first appearances there might not be a lot in common with the sectarian Scotland of this play and Cornwall, but there are similarities.

"The Highlands are very similar to Cornwall and the coast of Ayrshire, where Be Near Me is set, suffers hard times as do parts of Cornwall. It will be interesting to see how the audience reacts down here."

The actor has a close bond with Cornwall as it was where he died... twice!

"I contracted meningitis while filming Wycliffe and had to be resuscitated twice. I have to say I received terrific treatment at Treliske."

Jimmy is pleased to be working with several of the cast of Taggart in the play, namely Blythe Duff, perhaps best known for her role as Jackie Reid in the long running series.

She told me: "I've always worked in theatre and after seven years of Taggart I was looking for something interesting to get me back on stage. I was attracted to this as it's such a complex, very real play.

"Ian has done an amazing job adapting it and the cast is exceptional. For example, Colette O'Neil, who plays the priest's mother, is simply wonderful."

Over the past 16 years, the Donmar has created a reputation associated with artistic excellence and has showcased the talent of some of the industry's premier creative artists. The theatre has presented some of London's most memorable award winning theatrical experiences, including Frost/Nixon, as well as gaining critical acclaim at home and abroad.

Touring to just three venues in England, be sure to take advantage of seeing Be Near Me, a superb West End drama, right on your doorstep.

The evening performances start at 7.30pm with matinees on Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm. Tickets are from £5 (RV) to £17.50 with concessions available. A Theatre Fund payment is added to each ticket sold. Call the Box Office on 01872 262 466 or book online at www.hallforcornwall.co.uk