Review: 4000 Miles at the Surrey Arts Centre

Play boasts one brilliant standout and three bland stereotypes

The plot of the play 4000 Miles is simple—an aloof, free-spirited grandson requests sanctuary with his grandmother after completing a bike tour. Stuck between being a jobless traveller and returning to an unpleasant family situation, he reluctantly stays in the old woman’s house and they bond in the process. It is a self-described “uplifting story of growing up and growing old,” which explains why the set design consists largely of aging, seventies-esque furniture and dusty family portraits.

4000 Miles’ target audience is clearly between thirty and sixty years old. Like the grandmother, Vera, they understand how it feels to get older and see the world change. When she hobbles around, crankily swears, and calls her poor memory “disgusting,” empathetic laughter bursts from the crowd.

Because she is representative of the audience, Vera is blessed with the most in-depth characterization. She is refreshingly progressive, not just a caricature of your typical old woman, identifying with communism and the peace movement, smoking marijuana, and openly discussing her sexuality. Yet she behaves realistically for her age, struggling to “find her words,” reminiscing about her youth, and dealing with the loneliness of getting old. Not only is Vera a well-written character, she is remarkably well-performed by Nicola Cavendish, who masters physical acting to a tee. She moves, speaks, and behaves like an old woman would, but adds a personal flare to the trope that makes Vera loveable and fascinating.

Cavendish’s performance is excellent, but it is also the play’s most notable aspect. The other characters come across as disappointingly predictable caricatures. Grandson Leo, played by Nathan Barrett, is the unemployed, nature-loving hippy. His girlfriend Bec, played by Ella Simon, is the politically correct, ever-up-in-arms activist. The only other role in the play, Amanda, played by Agnes Tong, is nothing more than your typical drunk party girl.

By indulging in the development of Vera, the other three roles suffer. They lack depth and therefore fail to garner any emotion but contempt from the audience. The only exception to this is in a moment of vulnerability from Leo, while he recounts losing his best friend in an accident. In that scene, Barrett seizes the opportunity to be more than a stereotype and his true prowess as an actor shines through. For the first and only time during 4000 Miles, Leo tugs at the heartstrings of his viewers.

Overall, the play is clear, entertaining, and witty. It is not particularly original or touching, but it is enjoyable and deserving of a genuine laugh.