The production of Grace Pervades was an incredibly interesting experience to watch in the theatre. As a big fan of the actor, Ralph Fiennes, I really enjoyed watching him perform on stage! I thought he acted wonderfully well with his other scene partners and conveyed his emotions to the audiences tremendously. The female lead in the show, Miranda Raison, also did extraordinary well in her performance and showcased her range of emotions through her character arc during the show. I also thought the son of Terry in the show did an excellent job and I could pick out several individuals I know in the real world who is that exact type of person. The daughter of Terry, however, did not strike me as anything but ordinary as far as acting goes. I thought she conveyed natural emotions throughout the show, but the story did not offer her any crucial plot points for her to express advanced acting skills.
As being an actor myself and a future teacher of acting, I thought of the show as heavily educational. So much so that I found myself wanting to even take notes on the dialogue that was spoken surrounding the history of theatre. I was glad that this performance was a true story because most theatre that I have seen on the west end has been on the fictional side of stories. It was a fresh new change to the performances that we have seen so far!
The story was very intriguing, as they moved through the lives of Sir Henry Irving and Ellen Terry as actors alongside each other as they navigate improving their performances as well as balancing their own lives with children and falling in love with each other. I did wish that they dove deeper into what became of Ellen’s children after the death Henry and Ellen. Overall I really enjoyed this play and would recommend it to anyone who wants to become an actor.
Theatre in London U of A 