11/06/2026
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for Opening Night of Spring and Port Wine.
Below is a review of last night’s performance - huge thanks to Nicholas Peat for his high praise of our wonderful cast!
‘Spring and Port Wine is a play about a family trapped, whether by their own insecurities or the terror of their personal faults being uncovered.
Focussing on social stereotypes and prejudices through the trials and tribulations of the Crompton family in 1960s Bolton, Bill Naughton's script demands a strong cast and clear direction to communicate a huge amount to its audience.
It therefore delights me to say that the opening night of Burnley Garrick's show accomplished this handily.
Under John Cummings's direction, this complex play was brought to life in a superlative set that made the Cromptons' home essentially a character unto itself. There was so much personality in the furnishings, it made the family home seem real.
Similarly, the lighting and sound was excellent throughout, with the timing on the piano pieces being particularly impressive.
(Special kudos must go to the animatronic cat: though it only appeared at the very start, it made a striking impression - as did the stagehand who gingerly carried it offstage like it was his own pet!)
The cast acquitted themselves with aplomb: early standouts included James Bateman as Harold, whose character touches and quirks revealed a strong sense of comedy timing and characterisation, and Emma-Jane Samworth as Florence, a convincing portrayal of daughter torn between familial loyalty and love for Arthur, a role sensitively played by Jamie Gane.
Another outstanding performance came from Rachel Bailey, whose Hilda was a haunting depiction of a young woman increasingly terrified of changes in herself beyond her control. Leighton Hunt's Wilfred and Lynne Atkinson's Betsy-Jane were both strong, multilayered performances of difficult characters. Extremely well done.
The two leads were excellent, with Susan Mullen's increasingly weary and panicked Daisy provided the heart of the tale. She ran through the entire emotional gamut in this play and should be proud of what she achieved in this role.
However, if I had to choose one performance above all others, it would have to be Steve Cooke as Rafe: having been built up as an ogre domineering his family, I was taken aback by Steve's decision to play Rafe so quietly and subtly. This was absolutely the right decision: it is a testament to Naughton's script and Steve's skill that I could empathise with this character's arc and redemption.
If I have one constructive criticism, it would be that some of the blocking needs a minor rethink - particularly the pivotal dinner sequence in Act One. While it is realistic to have all six Cromptons encircle their table, this forced actors constantly to face away from the audience, making their lines far less intelligible.
This happened a few other times throughout the play, actors turning away from their audience - something to bear in mind for the remaining shows.
Aside from this one issue, this is an extremely difficult show to fault.
Spring and Port Wine is also on 11-13 June - you definitely do not want to miss this one!’
There’s still time for you to get your tickets booked for the next performances - we can’t wait to see you all there!
📅 10th-13th June 2026
🎟️www.ticketsource.com/burnley-garrick-theatre-group
