A well acted, old fashioned family saga

Park200

The Gathered Leaves seems to have been missed by some of the heavyweight media amidst all the reporting from the Edinburgh Fringe. I admit I missed its opening, but here’s a belated roundup of the limited number of reviews. The critics praised both the acting and Adrian Noble’s direction in this revival of Andrew Keatley’s family saga. Despite it being only ten years old, many felt the play was old fashioned (not always a bad thing) and a little too long.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

The Standard‘s Nick Curtis declared: ‘It’s an old-fashioned and at times schematic family saga that nonetheless treats its multiple themes with seriousness and care and eventually exerts a cumulative power…Adrian Noble’s elegant revival is peopled with thoroughbred stage actors, who plough determinedly through the boggier bits of dialogue and exposition.’

Louise Penn for BroadwayWorld found: ‘Keatley’s writing rewards his starry cast in every line. The length of the play (2hr 20 of performance) allows storylines to shape and realities to be revealed. Director Adrian Noble and designer Dick Bird allow the beautifully realised set to spread beyond the confines of the stage, spilling out onto the sidelines and into the audience.’

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

Miriam Sallon for WhatsOnStage claimed: ‘It’s not that Keatley’s writing isn’t sharp and witty, and at times insightful. It’s that it could have been excellent, and instead, he’s settled for something closer to fine.’

Over on TheArtsDesk, Rachel Halliburton wrote: ‘Dick Bird’s fastidiously observed design in beiges and pale greens sets the scene for emotional daggers in the drawing room.’ She ended: ‘You emerge from this play simultaneously feeling as if you’ve taken a gentle walk back in time and thankful that the world has moved on. Keatley’s script holds up well enough, but it’s Noble’s subtle direction – in which the cast doesn’t strike one false emotional note – that gives the evening its pull.’

Holly O’Mahony at The Stage felt it could have done more: ‘While avoiding melodrama is no bad thing, this staid story craves a s midge more disrepute.’

Alan Fitter at LondonTheatre1 had some thoughts about the set: ‘A special mention should go to Dick Bird’s set which is startling. The walls go all the way up to the ceiling of the auditorium, some 25 feet or so, with picture rails, architraves and cornices – just like the walls of a grand house would be. However, it does look as if most of the budget has been spent on the walls, as the furniture in the very grand house is sparce and quite cheap looking – not what you’d expect.’ He concluded: ‘The Gathered Leaves is interesting, if a little old-fashioned and long …What makes it work and what’s at the heart of Keatley’s play is that, amidst all the angst of a family in disarray, is the love and humanity of two brothers who will stick together whatever life throws at them.’

Critics’ Average Rating 3.3⭑

The Gathered Leaves can be seen at Park200 until 20 September 2025. Buy tickets direct from the theatre

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