The Gathered Leaves

Park Theatre

Playing until 20th September 2025

Book tickets

Photo credit: Rich Southgate

{PR Gifted tickets}

William Pennington, played by Jonathan Hyde, has never had a good relationship with his three children. Giles (Chris Larkin) never lived up to William’s expectations, Samuel (Richard Stirling) is on the autistic spectrum, and Alice (Olivia Vinall) was estranged when she became pregnant with a child from a black man while in university. The three were reunited for the first time in 17 years, bringing all three generations of the Pennington family together for William’s 75^th birthday and stirs up unresolved conflicts, secrets and disturbs emotional wounds that never healed.

Andrew Keatley’s script perfect captures the essences of a family drama, depicting a prideful William upholding traditions that no longer resonate with his children and the younger generation. With direction from Adrian Noble, the actors capitalise on the beauty of silences and uncomfortable small talks to create a relatable awkward gathering that almost everybody would have experienced at some stage in their lives.

During the course of the celebration weekend, William continues to mistreat his boys, almost refusing to recognise them for who they are, acting as if what he says is gospel and completely disregards Giles’s efforts in almost everything he does. This level of forceful behaviour extends to the way in which he interacts with his grandson, Simon (George Lorimer).

Contrary to this hateful persona, Williams shows his softer side when interacting with the female members of the family, revealing a level of kinship with his wife, Olivia (Joanne Pearce), missing his daughter Alice, who has been away for almost two decades and even sharing a drink with Alice’s daughter, Aurelia (Taneetrah Porter), well into the early mornings. The stark difference in behaviour further reinforces William’s old-fashioned ways and the harsher approach towards the men in the family.

At the core of this play lies familial bonds and the importance to be frank with each other. The narrative highlights that despite the family’s differences, each member is willing to put their issues aside to protect each other. Making their professional debuts, Joe Burrell and Ellis Elijah in the roles of young Samuel and Giles, respectively, create some of the most touching moments in the play through an intimate interaction, laying the foundation for the brothers' trust for one another and the length Giles will go to in order to protect Samuel, even at the expense of his own marriage.

Delivering the standout performance, Stirling perfectly portrays a person with autism. The way in which he carries the character is nuanced and believable, fully drawing the audience into his perception of the world. While stories that explore young autistic characters are becoming more common, it is refreshing to see an older autistic character and how they interact with the people and environment around them.

Even though this is an enticing family drama, there are aspects that feel out of place with some specific scenes that don’t appear to integrate well into the overall narrative. Giles’s wife, Sophie (Zoë Waites), goes into a frenzy when she found Samuel looking into the bathroom while she was in the shower, and the writer uses this as a way to tease the rift between Giles and Sophie in Act I before this is further explored in Act II. However, given the events that become unravelled, the scene in Act I could come across as a little superficial and lack impact on the overall development of the story. Similarly, there is frequent and light hearted bicker between Giles’s two children, Simon and Emily (Ella Dale), which don’t seem to influence the plot in any shape or form.

The story explores a number of heavy themes, including the impact of dementia on one’s character, namely how this is reflected in William’s behaviour and also how people with autism are treated. Given this, some of the humour in this play feel a little forced and don't always land in the best way in my view.

The Gathered Leaves carries all the traits of a good soap opera, highlighting every family has their own issues and challenges. The story grips the attention of the audience by making the conversations relatable, injecting emotions into the dialogues to paint a vivid picture of a dysfunctional family. 

Creatives

Writer: Andrew Keatley

Director: Adrian Noble

Designer: Dick Bird

Lighting Designer: Paul Pyant

Sound Designer: Max Pappenheim