Thorndike Theatre (Leatherhead), Leatherhead

‘Twenty-one years of theatre in Leatherhead is being celebrated at the Thorndike with a revival of the famous 1914 play “The Man Who Stayed at Home” by Lechmere Worrall and J. E. Harold Terry; the first professional production since Jersey in 1950 and Bolton in 1943. Directed by Jordan Lawrence - who, with Michael Marriott and Hazel Vincent Wallace formed the original triad who opened the first small theatre in the town in January 1951 - this presentation is perfectly in period and comes across as a truthful representation of the unsophisticatedness of even the world of espionage nearly 60 years ago. The audience is permitted a few giggles at the idea of anyone falling about at the sight of a microphone and a concealed “Marconi set” but it never gets out of hand. Under the director’s skilful hand this very good play holds together in its own right and is so absorbing that, on the night I was there, one small boy in the audience yelled an urgent “look out!” when the villain pulled a gun on the hero. David Stoll, best known as a farce actor, proves his strong dramatic ability as the able-bodied Christopher Brent who would neither enlist to fight for his country nor give reason for not doing so and Brian Spink is excellent as the Admiralty official who is really a German spy, while Carmen Silvera is at her best as his equally involved but not nearly so black-hearted mother. Villainy is also well represented by Margaret Diamond as one of their confederates while the side of the goodies is strongly upheld by Sonia Graham as chief assistant counter-spy, Carole Mowlam as Brent’s bewildered but loyal fiancee, Leon Sinden as her blimpish father, Barbara Bolton as a startled spinster and Ian Ogilvy as a keen young soldier who, while impressing the enemy as effete and foolish, proves equal to an emergency when it comes. Last performance February 12’.