By Graham Hiley.
Star rating: 4 out of five.
45 Years is one of those plays that stays with you long after you get home – and not just because of powerhouse performances by Geraldine James and Gabriel Byrne.
It is absorbing, authentic and completely compelling – and this unsettling and thought-provoking play is perfectly suited to the intimate setting of Chichester’s Minerva Theatre.
Based on Andrew Haigh’s 2015 movie, Hannah Patterson’s deft adaptation tells the story of Geoff and Kate Mercer who are planning to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary with a big party only to have their lives turned upside down by an unexpected letter.
It informs Geoff that the body of a former girlfriend has finally been found perfectly preserved in a block of ice following a mountain accident more than 50 years earlier. He was listed as next of kin as the pair had pretended to be married so they could share a hotel room.
That bombshell disrupts everything but changes nothing as it forces the couple to confront not only the past but also the present in a way they have perhaps never previously done in a safe, steady but unremarkable marriage.
The dialogue reflects that as they focus on mundane trivial issues like a busted ballcock rather than asking whether they were ever truly right for each other.
There is affection rather than passion but they seem afraid to dig too deep for fear of what they might find, making the body in the ice a metaphor for their marriage.
For 45 years, this secret has lurked under the surface as though frozen – vaguely visible yet untouchable. Neither is prepared to fully challenge the threat for fear of where it might lead.
That conflict is brilliantly captured by twice Tony Award-nominated Gabriel Byrne and Jewel in the Crown and Downton Abbey star Geraldine James, both making their first appearance at Chichester.
The hit movie brought plenty of plaudits for Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling who was nominated for an Oscar – and there is every chance equivalent accolades will follow for the stage duo.
Byrne switches between dismissive denial and defensive indignation while James chips away at the ice around the marriage without ever using the kind of force which would create a crack. There is warmth – but not enough to make it melt.
After discovering the extent of her husband’s first love during a very cleverly worked loft scene, she cries: “I know I am enough for you – but I don’t think you do!”
The threat posed by unresolved and unchallenged secrets is a fascinating concept and one which has the audience gripped for 85 minutes with no interval to break the tension.
However, the brief blackouts between scenes irritatingly do just that as they abruptly interrupt dramatic dialogue and sometimes make for a confusing timeline.
While there could be a little more humour to lighten the mood, the everyday conversation perfectly captures the rut in which they find themselves as they put on a party to declare their love to their friends.
Look beneath the surface though and you will see an unease as they dance to their wedding song “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” which actually deals with denial in love.
With more questions than answers, the audience – like Geoff and Kate – are intentionally left without a resolution prompting plenty of debate and possibly some uncomfortable soul-searching on the way home.
45 years runs at Chichester Minerva Theatre until Saturday July 11. For more information, visit: cft.org.uk/events/45-years.
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