4 STARS
“The sense of dignity emerging from hopelessness is beautiful: extraordinary to watch… The play is mesmerisingly atmospheric, its language arcane and full-bodied. Scene rushes headlong upon scene. A prisoner conjures blazing memories of London, a drunken old midshipman speaks to the ghosts of hanged men, an idealistic young lieutenant directs the play and falls in love with his lead actress.

“Tim Shortall’s design places the action within a tough wooden frame, evoking a ship, a prison, a theatre and a gallows. Johanna Town’s lighting segues exquisitely from murk to exotic brightness. The cast of ten are wonderfully fluid, steeped in understanding of what they are about. Helen Bradbury, as a convict dreaming of Devon rain, has eyes full of stoic despair; Ciaran Owens is bang on the money as both a sadistic officer and a reluctant hangman; Ian Redford plays several parts, every one of them astonishingly.”
The Daily Telegraph

4 STARS
“An excellent cast… Dominic Thorburn gives a delectably comic picture of frustrated theatrical ambition… A consummate revival of a modern classic”
The Guardian

“I love this angry and beautiful play…  The production works brilliantly on so many levels, with the cast doubling and tripling roles so that there is not only a play within a play but an actor can be giving voice to both persecutor and persecuted. The comedy is rich and laugh out loud. Matthew Needham’s Robert Sideway out-Bottoms Bottom in his thespian aspirations, and the savagery with which Kathryn O’Reilly as the feral Liz Morden roars out her lines can bring the house down. Yet there is such tenderness and anguish too, especially from Ian Redford as the foolish and tormented Harry Brewer, Laura Dos Santos as the intelligent Mary Brenham, and Dominic Thorburn as the callow second lieutenant, Ralph Clark. That he is also redeemed is one of the play’s greatest triumphs.”
The Stage

4 STARS
“Uplifting… Fascinating… Robustly theatrical… When the play veers into harrowing waters, it is always redeemed by a sense of hope. Nowhere more so than in the simple love that springs from Laura Dos Santos’s leading lady in Dominic Thorburn’s production of the play within the play. Despite attempts to sabotage his show with executions – and ham acting – Thorburn’s lieutenant remains tenaciously innocent, and Dos Santos’s Mary beautifully bright-eyed”
Daily Mail

4 STARS
“Audiences are in for a treat… Timberlake Wertenbaker’s script seamlessly merges exposition with deeply moving and lyrical dialogue and some of the best theatrical in-jokes since The Producers. Max Stafford -Clark offers a master class of direction… All of the techniques employed are in the service of telling the story in as clear and exciting a way as possible. So successfully do the cast absorb themselves into the wide range of characters it is a surprise, at curtain call, to see that there are only ten members.”
Whatsonstage.com – full review

“A real treat – funny, thought-provoking, fascinating and uplifting… The convicts’ triumph in puting on a play in the face of starvation, cruelty and the hangman’s noose is a victory for humanity. And so is this production”
Manchester Evening News

“Our Country’s Good is a tremendous achievement, polished to perfection by Out of Joint and the Octagon Theatre Bolton. As the convicts find excitement playing within their play, we as an audience are truly transfixed by both.”
The Public Reviews – full review

“A funny, touching and occassionally harrowing play, which is a testament to the redeeming nature of human creativity”
The Bolton News

5 stars
“This is a beautiful, compelling and absorbing production from the Octagon Theatre Bolton and Stafford Clark’s Out of Joint company. His excellent direction, Tim Shortall’s wonderfully evocative staging and a brilliant ensemble cast, make this a perfect night’s theatre.”
The Morning Star