Vincent
I will happily admit that before Sunday night I could list the things I knew about Vincent Van Gogh on one hand, but after seeing ‘Vincent’ I now realise what an interesting and complicated life he led and how we have come to know the things we do about one of the most revered artists in history. .
This brand new play written by Richard Lock focuses on the parts of Vincent's life we may not know of, from his relationship with his brother, his travels around France in search of beauty to paint and later his descent into what at the time was seen as madness. The source material is a series of letters between Vincent and his brother Theo, a correspondence that they maintained their entire lives which gives an insight to the struggles they both faced independently. The writing in the play is intense and feels profound, using the language of the time and often taken from the letters verbatim you find yourself drawn deeply into the world of the tortured artist and his mind. It is a deeply reflective piece with focus on mental health and the bonds that form between 2 brothers, but much like the paintings mentioned throughout, there are great moments of light contrasting against the darkness.
Henry Maynard is beautifully vulnerable as Vincent himself, taking us on a journey through optimism and joy to pain and despair. Henry has a formidable presence on stage, his embodiment of Vincent is entrancing to watch. He perfectly embodies the genius of the artist who just wants to create. This energy is complimented by Chandler Wolf as Theo, the uptight brother who takes care of the money and attempts to sell Vincent’s creations. Theo is fighting his own battles and Chandler breathes life into this character in a way that brought tears to my eyes, his final scenes were uncomfortable and heartbreaking to witness.
Jo Flay plays the role of Johanna, the wife of Theo, who without which it seems we would know nothing of the Van Gogh brothers. Jo is a marvel in this role, she is the calm within the storm of the story, and brings a beautifully quiet yet compelling energy to the role. I would have liked to have seen more of Johanna’s story in this piece, were it not for a notice outside in the foyer following the performance and telling us of the work she did to make sure the letters were not lost I would not know how important she was to the story.
The supporting cast is made up of Zola Thomas, Peter Elliot & Rowan Ringrose who all do an exceptional job of their respective roles and fully bring the piece to life with delightful tenacity.
Director Gareth Brighton has brilliantly brought this story to life, it shifts seamlessly from lighthearted to deep and intense. There are several short scenes of choreographed movement that feel perfectly intentional and tell a story so easily while also impacting the audience. Though I do feel there were some pacing issues in the first act, at times it felt slow and longer than it needed to be. This was improved in Act 2 though which felt snappy and moved more swiftly. The direction combined with the beautiful costume, set and lighting design creates a visual delight, in particular I found the sweeping cascade of letters across the top of the stage a delight to look at.
A true stand out from this piece is an elegant original score composed by Brandon Hoadley, it so flawlessly sets the tone and stirs emotions which along with the action taking place on stage transports us along with the characters. It uses large sweeping melodies and motifs throughout the piece to conjure up emotions from the audience. I particularly enjoyed the lighter themes indicative of sunshine and joy.
This play is both informative, bringing to light information that many people may not know about Van Gogh, and profoundly affecting. This is the first run of this play and I feel in time with some small refinements it could grow into the perfect story of one of the greatest artists to have lived.
This show was reviewed on the 10th of May 2026 at The Stables Theatre Hastings,
Review written by Rosie Browne
AD/Gifted
Photo credit: Peter Mould
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