Things I Know to Be True at The Gallery Studio ★★★

photography by Mike Kwasniak

Andrew Bovell’s Things I Know to Be True finds its emotional force in the uncomfortable space where unconditional love becomes expectation. Rachel Lansdowne’s production for Gallery Players is warm, thoughtful and often affecting, capturing a family whose affection sits alongside disappointment, resentment and change.

Lansdowne’s set places a fairy-lit tree at the centre of the Price family garden, an effective visualisation of roots, inheritance and the home around which their lives orbit. Planters are shifted with careful ensemble precision as the seasons change, while James Aleksic’s lighting allows flashbacks to emerge like fragments of memory.

Becky Linge’s Rosie, Emilia Green’s Pip, Tom Mayhew’s Ben and Steve Withers’ Mark each offer monologues that gradually dismantle their parents’ idealised picture of family life. Their reflections on growing up, siblinghood and the pressure of parental expectations provide revealing counterpoints to Bob and Fran’s own flaws. At times, allowing these moments a little more space and stillness would give their emotional weight greater opportunity to settle.

Sarah Hajiloizou’s choreography, drawing inspiration from Gecko’s physical-theatre methodology, gives physical expression to feelings that cannot easily be articulated. Synchronised breathing works particularly well as a recurring response to emotional pressure, while clothing is wrapped around bodies, held and inhaled as though memory itself has become tangible. The relationship between movement and Bovell’s naturalistic dialogue is not always completely seamless, but its strongest moments add another layer to the family’s inner lives.

The ensemble creates convincing familial chemistry, with warmth and humour sitting naturally alongside grief and conflict. Phil Cory’s Bob and Rachel Keveren’s Fran provide the emotional anchor, particularly in the more highly charged scenes, where the intimacy of the Studio allows quieter moments to land powerfully.

An emotionally generous production, willing to experiment with form while remaining grounded in the recognisable messiness of family life.

Things I Know to Be True runs at The Gallery Studio, Ipswich, until the 19th September 2026

Things I Know To Be True