The Go - Between at the New Wolsey Theatre ★★★★

Photo by Mike Kwasniak

L.P. Hartley’s famous observation that “the past is a foreign country” hangs heavily over Ben Musgrave’s adaptation of The Go-Between. Produced by Eastern Angles, this is a bittersweet, sharply observed exploration of nostalgia, memory, and the permanent fractures left by childhood experience.

Before the narrative proper begins, Sophie Crawford’s Balladeer establishes a melancholic atmosphere. Playing the accordion as the audience settles, Crawford effectively transports the auditorium to the Norfolk countryside during the long, sweltering summer of 1900.

The plot follows the elderly Leo Colston (Howard Saddler), whose discovery of a boyhood diary forces him to confront long-suppressed memories. At thirteen, Leo became an unwitting courier between upper-class Marian Maudsley (Hilary Greatorex) and tenant farmer Ted Burgess (Jack Solloway), delivering clandestine love letters whose adult significance bypassed his innocence.

Director Jake Smith anchors the production with intelligent Brechtian staging. The ensemble remains permanently visible at the periphery of the stage, flitting seamlessly between secondary characters through tightly choreographed transitions. This fluidity is mirrored in Amy Watts’ impressive multi-use scenic design, which relies on textured minimalism to evoke the vast Norfolk landscape with spatial economy. Her imaginative period costumes and tactile props successfully ground the piece, while Pete Hazlewood’s evocative lighting design beautifully distinguishes memory from the present without fracturing the narrative momentum.

Saddler delivers a standout performance, transitioning masterfully between the guarded, older Leo confronting his past and the carefree physicality of the boy he once was. His expressive shifts ensure both timelines feel entirely cohesive. 

Despite the darker thematic currents of class stratification, emotional manipulation, and stolen innocence, the production maintains a necessary buoyancy, largely thanks to Isaac Franklin’s Marcus, who injects a welcome, light-hearted comic relief.

Music functions as a vital structural pillar rather than simple ornamentation. Vocal numbers performed individually and collectively add a potent emotional layer to the staging, anchored by Crawford’s haunting, folk-infused vocals.

What emerges is a moving and beautifully performed production that views memory through an uncompromisingly bittersweet lens. Eastern Angles proves that while the past may be another country, its grip is absolute.

Eastern Angles production of The Go-Between continues its tour across East Anglia until the 19th September 2026, to find a performance near you visit https://easternangles.co.uk/event/the-go-between/ to book.