Review: The Years (Harold Pinter Theatre)

Apr 7

2 min read

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10

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I decided to buy a very last minute ticket for The Years when I was in London with nothing planned for the evening. I had the keen sense that I did not want to miss seeing this show.

With substantial content warnings, no interval and a run time of nearly 2 hours, The Years is an intense watch. But I think the lack of an interval in this production is important as an extended break would interrupt the flow of the narrative. (Or would it? More on this later.)

Written by Annie Ernaux. The Years is part novel, part memoir, chronicling one woman’s life. Portrayed by five different actors (Deborah Findlay, Gina McKee, Tuppence Middleton, Anjli Mohindra and Harmony Rose-Bremner) you see the passing of time unfold before you, and witness how it effects the thought processes and life situation of this one person.

I had read in some earlier reviews that people in the audience had been fainting at a certain scene (the depiction of an abortion and the aftermath of this procedure). This did happen at the performance I saw. The way the theatre handled it was very calm and respectful, but the skilled return by Tuppence Middleton straight back into that particularly harrowing scene was something to see in itself. Somehow this pause added more to this theatrical experience, rather than breaking the intensity of that moment.

This adaption is a very insightful portrayal of how the world has changed in one woman’s lifetime. Perhaps it is more about the world changing around the person instead of the life itself. But the concept of having five performers playing the same character at different times is so interesting and these were five exquisite performances. All of the actors are on stage for the majority of the show, as they also narrate, play other characters and add music to the show as well. Their skills both individually and as an ensemble were a performance masterclass.