Retford Little Theatre crosses the Atlantic for its next production. On Golden Pond, by the American playwright Ernest Thompson, is a funny and warmly perceptive study of a spirited elderly couple facing their twilight years.
For the 48th year, they return to their summer home on the shore of a lake called Golden Pond. Norman has a minor heart problem and is becoming rather forgetful, but he is still scouring the local paper for a part-time job. Ethel humours him, jollies him along and lovingly looks after him. When their daughter arrives with her fiancé and his young son, it is clear that there has been (and still exists) a rather turbulent relationship between father and daughter. The action explores the possibilities of bridging that generation gap.
The tightly written script gives rise to both laughter and tears – best summed up, perhaps, by one newspaper reviewer who described it as “hilarious and heart-warming”. See it from 24th to 31st March. Book tickets from 20th March, via 01777 702002 (open 6.00pm to 8.00pm).