Review: CLYBOURNE PARK, The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic

"Some would say change is inevitable" and nowhere more so than Clybourne Park, a street in Chicago in the 1950s where the first black family are about to move in.

Bev and Russ are recently bereaved parents and, in an effort to get out of the house that holds such terrible memories, have put it up for sale at a knock-down price. The winds of social change are whistling through and a young black family have snapped it up, much to the consternation of the remaining white neighbours.

Bruce Norris's Pulitzer-winning script delights in skewering the characters that in one breath claim to be progressive and, in another, tie themselves in knots over whether the new black family will be able to find the food items (that the white people assume they desire) at the local shop. Spoiler alert: they too like meatballs and spaghetti.

Fast-forward 50 years after the interval and it's the same house, but now a white family is moving into a predominantly black neighbourhood and wish to tear the house down and build a new one. This time, the black residents want the history of the neighbourhood to be respected.

There's some attempt to dig into the social aspect here - gentrification, unspoken racism, house price fluctuations and maybe the circular nature of change, but nothing feels fully developed. It's a delightful send-up of liberal hypocrisy, but without really going beyond the surface.

The new Weston Studio is an ideal space for this cosy setting in the front room of a house. Sarah Warren's multi-layered set feels appropriately authentic. As the studio is so new, perhaps director Jenny Stephens hasn't quite had time to work out the best use of the limited space and, as a result, we get a fair amount of characters playing musical chairs as they manoeuvre awkwardly round the thrust.

The cast, made up of this year's graduates of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, have the tricky task of moving forward 50 years over the course of the play. Holly Carpenter manages the transition with notable ease, from the likeable, fussing 1950s housewife Bev, to brash lawyer Kathy.

Likewise, Mofetoluwa Akande's Francine is moderate and assured while her Lena gets the best line of the play - which she doesn't waste. Jason Imlach comes alive as Dan, though doesn't always convince with the age and weariness of Russ.

When the cast dial into the rhythms of Norris's script, it's a joy to watch and gives the piece its pace and purpose. At other times, there's a little less precision, but these are actors at the start of their professional careers who show here that they will grow with time.

Clybourne Park remains an interesting piece that has its moments; its central time-period device works well, but it feels more like a casual glance than an incisive look.

Clybourne Park at The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic until 17 November

Photo credit: Craig Fuller

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