A Month of Sundays

Cheriton Players

Cheriton Village Hall, Cheriton

This bitter-sweet comedy revolves around a nursing home, and in particular two residents and their family’s duty-bound visits on the first Sunday of every month. Cooper (David Cradduck) remains on stage throughout and guides the play, with his veneer of acerbic wit, masking a visceral sadness. He plays his role with sensitivity and expression, while his friend, Aylott (David Baldwin) skilfully portrays a man, fighting to remember and fearful, as he slips into dementia. The pair find solace and a platform for honesty with each other that is touching to watch.

The bedroom setting is perfect, and focuses the action, with the home and then the world, ever present but rendered inaccessible by old age and infirmity. The tenuous relationship between Cooper and his family (Claire Smith, Craig Robb) and the genuine and grudging warmth between Nurse Wilson (Alison Carter) and the cleaner (Marilyn Weston) are so real that the audience span through a range of emotions as they look in on this very personal journey.

Played beautifully by all and directed with compassion and understanding, this is both funny and uncomfortable, but very worth seeing.

Rebecca Case