TRESTLE (Maltings Theatre/OVO Theatre)***

  

By Cal 

Link: http://maltingstheatre.co.uk/trestle 

Available until: 10^th April 2021

It’s funny how chance meetings can turn into friendships. You might not have seen someone before, or not to talk to. They might not be the sort of person you’d expect to be friends with.

But somehow, for some reason, a connection is formed and it grows into a friendship. The meetings become regular. You share jokes. Even food.

But friendships are complicated, partly due to the framework that holds it together. The trestle, even. If the trestle isn’t in the right place, the whole thing is in danger of collapsing.

Trestle tells the story of Harry and Denise, two mature people who meet unexpectedly and decide to keep on meeting. Playwright Stewart Pringle has created a lovely and fascinating relationship and it’s always great to see a friendship between two sexually compatible people that isn’t all about sex. Sex isn’t completely irrelevant, but there’s a real friendship here, a shared understanding, a mutual respect between two very different people… which makes it all the sadder when cracks start to show.

Director Matthew Parker has clearly focused on developing the rapport between the two characters and it comes across brilliantly. The story really is character-led and it looks like a lot of work has been done on making the characters strong and likeable – and real human beings. There are a lot of jokes in the play, but there is so much more going on than what’s happening on the surface.

Furniture seems important to the play, not just as somewhere to sit, but as a way of illustrating the relationship between Harry and Denise and where things currently stand between them. Simon Nicholas’ set has everything the play needs to have, but no more than that. The furniture that matters isn’t lost amongst irrelevant props. It’s not just setting the scene or giving the characters something to do. It has a purpose.

Jilly Bond is a spirited and outspoken Denise, tougher on the outside than on the inside. She’s kind and supportive, but it’s still a good idea to watch your step. Chris Pickles is sweet and bumbling as Harry, formal in the most charming way. They make a great pair.

Anyone who is worried that life gets boring when you retire seriously needs to meet these two. (Not that I’m worried quite yet. I haven’t even graduated yet so I could theoretically not retire for another fifty years!)