As Ratty says in Wind in the Willows “there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats”. And there is plenty of messing about in boats in Three Hens in a Boat, the charming new production that has moored at the Watermill Theatre after a run at Reading Rep (a heartening collaboration between the two venues is at play here). An endearing riff on Jerome K Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat, writer Camille Ucan’s debut sees three generations take to a boat on the River Thames for a hen party. They bond and clash in equal measures, room given for old wounds to be aired and new developments to be revealed. Vibe takes priority over narrative for an endearing exploration of our central trio and the differences age makes.
The play’s titular hens hang it all together beautifully. Ellen O’Grady brings authority and grace to Claudette (grandmother), Verona Rose’s Gloria (mother) is a spiky, charming force of nature, and Ucan’s Jay (daughter) is played as a wonderful hybrid of the two – a permanent student seeking maturity but still capable of youthful folly. They make a humorous trio, playing off each other’s energies, giving the production an easy charm. Also shout out to the production’s use of voiceover, particularly an early scene-stealing turn from James McNicolas as Simon Skiff.
Our hens are surrounded by a beautiful riverbank set. A painted backdrop of the river, which shifts over time thanks to some gorgeous lighting design (from Jonathan Chan) is coupled with a physical bank of grass and flowers. Jasmine Swan’s design work is lovely here and the coup is the titular boat, which becomes a fourth character on stage (called, naturally, Jerome). The space here is used well here, paired with the perfectly balanced soundscape mixing Ella Wahlström’s sound design and Lauryn Redding’s score.
Ucan’s play is a rich, textual work. It has an easy humour, drawn from a believable set of familial relationships and a steady stream of jokes and references (you better believe Titanic gets mentioned). There’s history here but it isn’t overdone. Falling outs take place but we’re never in doubt that love of the family kind wins the day. Director Abigail Pickard Price’s winning production keeps the pace up as we travel down the river together.
Three Hens in a Boat is a charming way to spend a few hours in Berkshire. Our central trio are warm, likeable stage presences that play well off each other, and this is a work that marks Camille Ucan as a talent to keep an eye on.