‘The Southbury Child’ Review: Well-Meaning Production Can’t Cover a Schematic Script

variety.com:

Gordon Cox Theater EditorA place for everything and everything in its place. Although that maxim about neatness might apply to the intentions of the characters living in the English country vicarage in “The Southbury Child,” it’s actually better as a description of the way Stephen Beresford’s all-too-orderly new play (now running at the Bridge Theatre in London) is written.

Carefully contrived characters including the ambitious young clergyman, the unmarried young woman and the adopted Black daughter are conveniently assembled to illustrate arguments, but despite some good jokes along the way, drama is replaced by dilemmas debated.Alex Jennings has not only played roles written by Alan Bennett, he has even played Bennett himself as a character, and there are shades of that writer’s droll approach in his nicely dry, deliberately unshowy performance as David Highland, a longstanding but flawed Church of England vicar.

As becomes apparent in the opening scene, he has opened the door to trouble in the community over his refusal to let the family of a child who has died decorate the church with Disney balloons for the funeral service.

His refusal sets him on a collision course with the community that builds an increasing head of steam against him. He believes his stand over the church and its dignity to be built upon deep principle.