Frances Grey and Mark Arends are spectacularly genuine as Vivian and Tom... Worthy of a place in your memory.The Independent
Quite simply breathtaking.Stage Talk
A bravura of a play, a masterpiece, in all senses convincing and deeply moving - a must-see!A Younger Theatre
Like the rest of the audience I was totally hooked and together we laughed and cried... heart-warming and heart-breaking.London Theatre 1
The performances by Mark Arends and Frances Grey could not be bettered and director Sharon Burrell has set the couple's lives on stage to perfection. It quite blew me away.Reviews Gate
Written with honesty and performed with great sensitivity, it is both joyous and painful... a celebration of what love is.British Theatre Guide
Haunting, beautiful and powerful.Reviews Hub
The play is handled with great sensitivity and under the creative direction of Sharon Burrell it becomes an endearing, touching and amusing revelation of what it is to love.Theatre Bubble
Old Fools is brilliant devastating theatre, marking Bernays out as an outstanding talent amongst his generation.Jonathan Baz
Heart-wrenching... over the course of 70 minutes it makes you fall in love - then breaks your heart.The Upcoming
Handled with fleet-footed direction by Sharon Burrell, and grounded in two magnificent performances from Arends and Grey... Deft, restraining and moving theatre.Time Out
Old Fools is the story of Tom and Viv, their love and the life they’ve shared together – from first spark to dying light. But not necessarily in that order. Tristan Bernays’ first play in London since the storming success of Boudica at The Globe, this production is a surprising and touching tale emerging from delicate and fleeting memories of the past.
At the heart of the play is a love story, but what sets this production apart is that we view the relationship through the lens of Alzheimer’s. The innovative construction of the script enables the audience to experience what it means to try to hold onto treasured memories, and one’s own identity, when fighting this brutal degenerative illness.
Over 40,000 people under 65 in the UK have dementia. We hope through this play to raise awareness of the impact dementia, and Alzheimer’s specifically, can have on the sufferer, and the people around them.
OFF WEST END AWARD NOMINATIONS
MALE PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY – Mark Arends, FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY – Frances Grey, DIRECTOR – Sharon Burrell
Press★★★★ The Independent
★★★★ Time Out
★★★★ The Upcoming
★★★★ Jonathan Baz
★★★★★ Theatre Bubble
★★★★★ The Reviews Hub
★★★★★ British Theatre Guide
★★★★★ Reviews Gate
★★★★★ London Theatre 1
★★★★★ Stage Talk
★★★★★ Theatre World
★★★★★ The Remote Goat
★★★★★ The Gizzle Review
★★★★★ The Spy in the Stalls
★★★★ Theatre News
ByTristan Bernays
CastTom - Mark Arends
Viv - Frances Grey
Creative TeamDirector - Sharon Burrell
Movement Director - Lucie Pankhurst
Assistant Director - Sam Quested
Lighting Designer - Peter Small
Composer - Christopher Ash
Sound Designer - Patrick Ball
Costume Designer - Anto Cossu
DSM - Remi Smith
General Manager - Julie Clare
Casting - Sophie Parrott
VenueSouthwark PlayhouseYear2018