About the Play
We return to the Orange Tree Theatre for a Thursday Matinee followed by a public post show discussion. The Thunderbolt concems the estranged siblings of Mortimore, a brewer, who has recently died. The family gather to divide the spoils, however there is no will and an illegitimate daughter.
Guilt, envy and greed jostle for prominence as a large middle class family fight with whatever weapons are at their disposal for what they feel is their rightful and much needed inheritance.
In this 1908 play Pinero moves away from the London society of his earlier successes such as The Second Mrs Tanqueray to small town politics, tensions and the sensitivities of a provincial town.
Booking for this event is being handled by Betty.
Review of the event
This is a story of greed in the early 1900s. Edward, an estranged brother of the Mortimer family had died leaving a considerable fortune, at to-day’s values, about £15,000,000. The remaining three brothers and a sister understood that if he had died intestate they would share his estate. One of the brothers Thaddeus had married a grocer’s daughter Phyllis and the rest of the family treated both of them with contempt.
Helen arrives from France and stays with Thaddeus and Phyllis. Helen is Edward’s daughter,whom he had not acknowledged but has supported generously. No will is found. Phyllis eventually tells Thaddeus that she had destroyed the will and Helen was the sole heir to the fortune.
All the family including Thaddeus were devastated by the news since they had all mortgaged their inheritance and had not intended to treat Helen well. Phyllis had committed a criminal act and Thaddeus tries to take the blame for destroying the will but fails. Helen will not allow Phyllis to be prosecuted. The eldest brother James negotiates a settlement with Helen which allows the family to carry out their plans and to escape from their own dire impoverishment.
Helen is relieved to find her father had not rejected her and accepts a share of the will she has previously refused. We are left wondering whether her embryonic relationship with a curate would develop or wither as a result of her wealth. We are left in no doubt as to the curate’s intentions.
This is a rarely produced play, according to Sam Walter’s note it was presented at the Arts Theatre in 1945 and again in 1966. This was an enjoyable experience, it was easy to laugh at the pretentiousness of the family and perhaps even to experience anger at their greed, to feel sorry for Phyllis and understanding for her criminal act, admiration for Thaddeus’s loyalty and amazement at his naivete, respect for James’ change and empathy for Helen’s distress at the thought of being rejected by her father.
All of this brought about by the excellence of the acting and the creative deftness of the production. Highlighted by the frenetic Dick Barton like music that accompanied a wonderful scene change.
The post performance question and answer session led by Sam Walters was amusing and, led to better understanding of the play.
Ralph Woolf