The Bench at Gala Durham Review
Abigail Lawson in The Bench, Photo by Jason Thompson.
Written by Stacy for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Jeff Brown’s The Bench returns to the stage in a full-length form, touring the North East and Cumbria after its earlier incarnation as a promising scratch performance back in 2018. Set against the backdrop of football and economic hardship, the play follows the unlikely connection between Vicky, a single mother grappling with mounting pressures, and Adi, a young footballer trying to navigate a new life both on and off the pitch.
There is no doubt that The Bench aspires to say something vital. Its themes—poverty, identity, institutional racism, and the challenges of modern working-class life—are as timely as they are important. The involvement of Show Racism the Red Card brings a meaningful layer of social resonance to the production. However, despite the clear goodwill and strong intentions behind the play, the execution sometimes falters under the weight of its own ambitions.
Where the original scratch performance offered a tightly held, emotionally resonant vignette, this expanded version feels overextended and diluted. In attempting to cover so much thematic ground, the play struggles to do justice to any one thread. The characters often come across more as vessels for issues than fully realised individuals, and their interactions, while occasionally touching, lack the depth and credibility needed to truly land.
A key moment emblematic of this disconnect comes when Vicky learns she’s been sanctioned—left with no financial support for three months. It’s a devastating scenario, especially for a mother with a baby to care for, yet the scene lacks the emotional gravity such a moment demands. Reactions feel muted, dialogue leans towards the functional, and opportunities for visceral, affecting drama are passed over. It’s moments like this that make it difficult to fully invest in the characters or their journeys.
There are certainly flashes of warmth and humour, and Olivia Millar-Ross’s direction does well to keep the pacing brisk and the staging fluid. The chemistry between the leads has potential, and the production is earnest in its engagement with real-world struggles. But too often, the play leans on shorthand and trope—loss, racism, poverty, sporting pressure—without grounding these in emotional realism. The characters are given backstories, but these are so heightened and packed with hardship that they begin to feel implausible, rather than lived-in. As a result, the cumulative effect distances rather than draws us in.
Ultimately, The Bench is a production I wanted to like, and perhaps that’s what makes its shortcomings more pronounced. It’s an important story to tell, and Brown clearly has a feel for the regional heartbeat. But in trying to do too much, the play loses some of the emotional intimacy and realism that made its earlier version so compelling. The heart is there—no question—but the soul feels just out of reach.
The Bench is at Gala Durham until 24 May
★★★
