Pentabus Theatre Company tours its live productions largely around rural venues but supplements them with online plays; the latest of which (co-produced with ThickSkin) is Tim Foley’s Driftwood, available for free viewing via the company’s web site until 27 March 2024.
A pair of estranged brothers, Mark (James Westphal) and Tiny (Jerome Yates), reunite to plan the funeral arrangements for their father who is reaching the end of his life. Tiny hopes the occasion will ensure a reconciliation between Mark and their father, but Mark, now relocated to Manchester, is unable to forgive how his father rejected him when his homosexuality became apparent and is now uncomfortable in his birthplace. He is guiltily aware younger brother Tiny has the moral high ground having cared for their father in his declining years. While Mark holds a grudge against his father, Tiny seems to take a more romantic view of the relationship and life as a whole but is slipping more and more into a fantasy.
Outright lies and the use of self-deception as a survival mechanism are themes of Foley’s play, which is set on the shores of Seaton Carew in the North East. This is a site of one of HM Government’s Freeports, claimed to be a means of revitalising the area, but the marine life has been poisoned by the polluted debris thrown up by the dredging required to allow larger vessels to use the seaport. Tiny prefers to believe the official statement the cause was algal bloom, but his brother is more cynical.
Tiny challenges Mark that his return must indicate a willingness to reconcile, else why bother coming back? It is possible; however, Mark regards the passing of his father as a relief—allowing him to avoid confronting his past and pretending forgiveness. Although initially out of his urban comfort zone, Mark becomes more confident, almost pushy, and enjoys demonstrating his value by using his professional skills to organise events on his higher income to meet costs.
The father was something of a teller of tall tales and Tiny seems to be indulging in escapism. His initial plan, to gather driftwood to build a Viking funeral pyre for their father, is disturbing enough, but he starts to obsess about The Mariner: a supernatural being who will rise from the sea to carry away their father’s soul. Tiny begins to pursue meaningless rituals in an effort to make his fantasies become real.
Previous online plays from Pentabus Theatre Company have been hybrids—films which used the play text but were not restricted to a theatre setting. Driftwood is a straightforward digital capture of a live theatre performance. Lulu Tam’s design makes extensive use of Sarah Readman’s screen projections to set the scene. Basic chunks of, well, driftwood become jetties or derelict vessels against a background of scenic harbour views or wondrous / menacing astral patterns. The confusion and chaos at the climax probably work great in an intimate theatre setting but lose some impact in the screen capture. The performances, however, remain strong.
The characters evolve as events unfold. James Westphal initially seems effete and hypochondriacal, quibbling about hygiene before allowing the hidden motivation behind Mark’s resentment to rise to the surface. If Tiny regards their father as an inspirational teller of tales, Mark sees him as a bully who could not stand to be proved wrong. Having failed to reconcile with his father, helping Tiny tackle his problems offers Mark a second shot at redemption. Westphal becomes almost a different person once Mark’s guilt is resolved, relaxed and charming.
Jerome Yates gives a particularly disturbing performance. It is apparent Tiny’s emotional development has been restricted or gone into reverse, as if he has been drawn into his father’s delusional view of life. Yates demonstrates an obsessive quality as if Tiny can give meaning to his father’s life by proving his tall tales were true.
Driftwood is a mystical examination of the costs and benefits of deception and belief.