The Children's Hour - Royal Exchange - 10/03/08 by Kashif Naveed

George Eliot once wrote that "Falsehood is easy, truth so difficult", and if anyone would know then it would be good ol' George, given the fact that he had lived his entire life as a lie and in reality was actually a woman that went by the name of Mary Ann Evans! Nonetheless, deception can be an evil business and none more so than at the hands of celestial, cherubic children as shown so evidently in The Children's Hour, which is currently playing to packed audiences at the Royal Exchange.

Written by Lillian Hellman in the 1930s it is set in what you imagine to be small-town America at the time it was first published (to apparent notoriety I have been led to believe) and tells the story of how lives and relationships can be ruined when the lie of an unruly child is given credence.

Those lives involve two headmistresses at an all-girls boarding school, Karen Wright and Martha Dobie, and their loved and betrothed ones (Aunt Mortar and Dr. Cardin respectively), and whose lives are torn apart and ultimately end in tragedy after an angry student, Mary Tilford, runs away from the school and to avoid being sent back tells her moralising grandmother that the two headmistresses are having an “unnatural” affair. And we all know what she means by “unnatural” don't we?

The Children's Hour comes hot on the heels of last year's cinematic success of Atonement, which also deals with the lies of those we view as innocent children and the damning ramifications that ensue. Building on those familiar themes, the play is currently residing at the Royal Exchange in St. Ann's Square and is without doubt one of my favourite theatres among those in this vicinity. Its intimate centrepiece stage, the down to earth homely seating and enclosed galleries really lends itself to the art of storytelling I feel.

However, such a setting will only bring challenges to those that seek to put on productions at this theatre house and to effectively use their surroundings to relay the story that they intend to tell - and the Children's Hour does this better than many that attempt to do so.

This is no surprise given that the productions are from old friends that are more than acquainted with the theatre’s intricate charms and details. Director Sarah Frankcom returns and reunites with Shameless and Dinnerladies star Maxine Peake, who both had been in the Exchange’s acclaimed production of Rutherford And Son. Peake plays the lead role of Karen Wright and gives a truly mesmerising performance as the headmistress, who is wronged and ruined by Tilford's allegations. Indeed, her performance really does grow as the production wears on, displaying a confident woman at the outset that is ultimately brought to the point of a breakdown and Peake conveys that journey almost exquisitely.

Peake's is not the only one to show her stupefying acting talents, as she is more than ably supported by some compelling performances from her fellow cast members. Likewise, Charlotte Emmerson is excellent in her role as the other half of the wronged woman, giving a first-rate portrayal that shows her character's many textures. Kate O’Flynn is equally captivating as the bullying troubled teenager, Mary Tilford, whose penchant for untruths ultimately leads to the ruinations of almost all of those around her. She along with Flora Spence-Longhurst, Alice Haig and Niamh Quinn give a flirty and effervescent portrayal of teenage shenanigans.

Much of this credit must go to Frankcom, who aided and abetted by her backstage crew, use Hellman's tale of woe and the Exchange’s surroundings to their utmost potential. Her direction allows the production to run it’s natural course and not be suffocated by the play’s dominant theme of tragedy.