Nick Payne's One Day When We Were Young consists of three different snapshots of the same relationship: one when the young couple are parting as he is setting off to fight in World War II, another when they meet again in middle-age, and a final picture when they are older and becoming infirm. It is a familiar plot device recalling such earlier works as Noël Coward's Brief Encounter or Bernard Slade's Same Time, Next Year. Unfortunately, in this case it lacks the passion of the former and the humour of the latter. In this instance, the play mainly depends on a rather contrived nostalgia and somewhat shallow sentimentality for its appeal. While Cassie Bradley as Violet and Barney White as Leonard both do a credible job of creating their characters, their love affair never really seems to catch fire. As the morose and stoic young butcher who goes reluctantly to war, White is wonderfully believable, but his character inspires pity rather than any more complex set of emotions. It also seems highly unlikely that his Violet would metamorphose into an author in her later life. James Haddrell has deftly directed the production, and Pollyanna Elston's set works nicely to evoke the period of the piece. One Day When We Were Young is a sweet, but unchallenging, invocation of a simpler time, a poignant chronicle of the stages of life and a tribute to the enduring power of love.
Rated: ★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Danny Kaan
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