Last night, we went to Wyndham’s Theatre to watch “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” by Eugene O’Neill. I was so excited to watch this show because the play means a lot to me, and I was prepared for this heavy and long night. The theatre space we watched in was chic and beautiful, and I loved observing the environment before the show. As soon as the lights came up, I was giddy to watch Brian Cox. After seeing him in Succession, I knew that he would be perfect in the role of James Tyrone and couldn’t wait to see how he portrayed it. I was not disappointed!
While reading the play, I was interested to see the set design of this production. I liked how there was a center room where the main action took place and how the piano was situated just barely out of view in the room behind, alluding to its importance later in the action. I was a little confused because the room seemed like a dining room and they kept mentioning going to eat, so I was wondering if there was another room they were supposed to be eating in. I am not sure how I pictured it, but when reading the play, I thought there was a living room or den where the central action was taking place, with the kitchen/dining room being off-stage.
It was intriguing how minimal the set was, with no decorations and little furniture. I feel that this was a deliberate choice by the designer to represent Mary’s complaint of their house not feeling like a “home.” The muted and matching tones of the wall and floor were also interesting and gave the room a cabin-like feel. The lighting design worked in tandem with the set design to provide a bare and pale persona to the actors, which made the room feel stuffy and empty at the same time. Between each scene break, there was a complete blackout, which was an interesting and exciting choice for me because it created a stark contrast between the scenes. The lighting designer could have chosen to have a smooth lighting transition between them, but I felt this was a deliberate decision to leave the audience in the dark as to what was to happen next.
The sound design was eerie. I enjoyed the cues during transitions– they created even more suspense for the audience. The foghorn was an important motif, and I was glad they incorporated it into the sound design. Also, the creaking when Mary was pacing upstairs added to the family’s apprehension.
One thing I was especially looking forward to seeing was how the actors would embody their slow decline into substance abuse. Overall, I would say that they did a great job. Mary’s character definitely had a journey and throughout the production, it was obvious when the drugs were creating a fog over her mind and turning her into a different person. I liked how Patricia Clarkson played Mary’s character with more mini energy– her motivations came from internal obstacles and were not always overt. Laurie Kynaston, playing Edmund, had great dynamics in his acting and allowed things to weigh on him until he couldn’t take it anymore and exploded with frustration. Of course, Brian Cox did brilliantly, as I knew he would. I was interested to see how he could demand the stage with his voice, especially when yelling at his children, yet still remain soft with love for Mary. I feel like that Cox might have related to his character strongly because his monologue telling his life story had me in tears. The whole show had me in tears, (poor Shawn had to hear me suck my snot in for 3 hours), but that’s neither here nor there.
The only actor that slightly drew me out was Daryl McCormack, as James Jr, because I felt that his American accent caused him to lose energy in his voice and took emotion away from his acting. I still think he did a great job, but it was obvious that he was putting on an accent, so as an American, it was hard not to pay attention to it.
Overall, I believe I would recommend this play to everyone, even non-theatregoers. Especially if they have experienced living within an addictive household/knowing someone who has struggled with it– it is cathartic to be able to relate to art. However, this play was also hard to watch at times. While it is a great release to feel seen through theatre, when watching productions with heavy material, it is important to try and separate your reality from what you are watching. Plays addressing trauma are important, but boundaries are more important.
Also, I got to meet Brian Cox! He was a very sweet Scottish old man, entirely different from the raging father I have seen him play. I talked to him a little bit about theatre, and he listened! At least, he successfully pretended to.
All for now,
xoxo Brian Cox’s biggest fan
Theatre in London U of A 