Book of Days

Image supplied by New Theatre. 

Dublin, Missouri is a small, God-fearing mid-Western town with a close knit population of just over 4000 people, we’re told in the opening scene of Book of Days. Life revolves around the local cheese factory, church and the community theatre. But when a big-shot director arrives from out of town to direct the ‘anti-church’ play Saint Joan, cheese factory owner Walt dies in suspicious circumstances and the Reverend Bobby Graves is confronted by some less than moral behaviours in his congregation, a series of events unfold which threaten the town’s stability and expose the conflicting motivations of those in it.

Book of Days opens with the full ensemble on stage and they remain there for the duration of the show (with the obvious exception of the later deceased Walt (Mark Langham). The clever directorial execution of this by Elsie Edgerton-Till, with help from the timely lighting of Alex Berlage creates a dynamic piece of social commentary which allows the audience to examine all members of the small community. Early on, we are introduced to our main protaganist, Ruth (Kate Fraser) and her husband Len (Alex Norton), who make a convincing and loving couple. A woman with integrity, Ruth works as a bookkeeper in the cheese factory by day and is rehearsing for the part of Joan of Arc by night. Like the character she’s set to play, Ruth acts swiftly against injustice and doesn’t hesitate in speaking out to all around her when she suspects that Walt has been murdered. At this point, the audience have been familiarised with the characters of Dublin’s inhabitants, yet while their reactions are somewhat unsurprising, the levels of moral degradation are no less shocking.

Book of Days is a long play, dealing with mostly everyday subject matters, yet it remains compelling throughout. The simple set design; a tree at centre stage and some strategically placed chairs; allows for easy movement of actors on stage, while the short nature of conversations maintains flow. As with all great drama, there is a healthy splash of comedy. Ginger Reed (Amelia Cuninghame) is hilarious as she moves about with a cartoonnish wiggle reminiscent of Christina Hendrick’s character in Mad Men, while her re-enactment of Sharon Bates’ reaction to Walt’s death is ingenious. Gael Ballantyne is fantastic as the witty Martha Hoch, who constantly regales her son Len and daughter-in-law Ruth with tales from her wild days at Woodstock. The small town setting of Dublin and the stereotypes held by many about the mid-West, gives rise to dozens more comical, poignant and thought-provoking one-liners, all delivered seemlessly by the cast. Special mention should also go to costume designer Jacqui Schofield for the outfits which help to perpetuate the character types.

Ultimately, Book of Days is a play which works its way under the skin, embroiling the audience in the dramas and lives of its characters. The underlying message, that it’s more beneficial for the individual to keep quiet on topics of injustice,  is one which can be examined in every society, where we see those in power or otherwise ‘turning a blind eye’ on a frequent basis. Book of Days presents us with characters who speak out and those who don’t, prompting us to examine which group we’d like to belong to.