The Silver Cord ★★★ Finborough Theatre | September 3 - 28, 2024


David Phelps is bringing to the family home Christina, the wife whom he married in Europe. His brother, Robert, awaits David's return with his fiancée, Hester. However, both boys have seriously underestimated their formidable mother's reaction to these rivals for her children's affections. Most famous for his adaptation of Gone with the Wind for David O Selznick's film, this work of American playwright Sidney Howard has not been produced in Britain for 95 years, and it epitomises the archetype of the controlling smother-mother who will go to any lengths to secure her control over her children. Mrs Phelps is a character we all quickly recognise as we perversely enjoy her machinations to detach her boys from their partners. There is no doubt that Howard taps into something deep in the psyche of many as we watch in delighted horror as the maternal monster and master of hypocrisy manipulates situations to destroy her perceived rivals and to infantilise her grown children. The problem with this piece is that while Mrs Phelps' bag of tricks is quite bottomless, their repetitive nature does become a little tedious, and the question of when, or whether, her sons will eventually see through her stratagems seems rather dragged out. As the maternal villain, Mrs Phelps, Sophie Ward is delightfully arch. She positively purrs as she pours poison in her offsprings' ears. As the elder son David, George Watkins is convincingly credulous and vacillating, while Dario Coates creates a wonderfully wounded and fawning Robert. Jemma Carlton effectively captures the naïve and abused Hester, and Alix Dunmore does an excellent job as the strong-minded and rational Christina who sees through the emotional games of her mother-in-law. Her less mannered presentation also brings a note of realism to the melodrama. Aside from the unfortunate plastic flowers, Alex Marker's set makes brilliant use of the space and manages to succinctly suggest the period. Carla Joy Evans' costumes are a definite highlight of the production and nicely suggest the difference between the world of Mrs Phelps and her rivals. Director Joe Harmston has mounted a worthy revival of this lost work, but some editing might have been in order. Nevertheless, The Silver Cord is a terrifying and humorous reminder that the family tie that binds so tight can be a phantom umbilical cord.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by J.C.

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When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: 118 Finborough Rd, London SW10 9ED, UK

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