Welcome To Pemfort - Soho Theatre ★★★★

Sarah Power’s new play at the Soho Theatre, Welcome to Pemfort, is a warm and genuine introspection on the nature of forgiveness and the significance of the past, with a few laughs thrown in for good measure.

Part nostalgia-laced pastoral, part historical office comedy, and part meditation on the dark soul of man, Pemfort kind of has it all.

The play centres around a group who work in the titular historical fort – in the shop (where the show is staged), out on the grounds, in the bell tower, etc. – and explores their changing relationships with one another.

Debra Gillett is a compelling captain of the ship as the motherly Uma, boss of the gift shop, and delivers a tender and powerful performance. Lydia Larson is an amiable country girl who tried a stint in London but hated it – lending the role her charm and depth of feeling. A particular mention must be made for Ali Hadji-Heshmati, who, after starting the show off with a kind of back-footed, confidently off-kilter delivery, one slowly realises is both the comedic and emotional fulcrum of the piece, as Glenn, the anally retentive history buff and passionate guardian of the site’s legacy and upkeep, is also heavily implied to be on the spectrum.

Heshmati sets a beautiful tempo and handles his character with remarkable ability – notably, especially for his extremely well-observed body language.

The play begins with the arrival of Kurtis, an outsider, played with real guilt-ridden gravitas by Sean Delaney. Kurtis is gradually revealed to have a secret that throws everything into contention.

He has done something that many would deem unforgivable. The cast work this out between them in the confines of their tiny gift shop. It is here the real metaphorical strength of Pemfort is revealed. This is a play about how the past affects the present – a sound allegory that plays out in many facets over the show’s 90-minute runtime.

There is tension in the play between light and dark. Glenn is unremittingly funny; there is awkward flirty banter about London; there are a series of extremely well-put character jokes relating to the haunting of a dog – all done against the backdrop of Alys Whitehead’s extremely well-made and decidedly cutesy castle gift shop, with this great, throbbing darkness at the centre of it – Kurtis’ crime, his presence at the fort, and the potential for him to leave or stay.

It is worth mentioning that the few moments that are less laterally blocked, a beat about controlling the breath and an interlude about a recent tragedy that took place at the castle, stand out as moments of real connection with the cast. It almost seems there could be more of this in the piece, considering its subject matter and tone – moments where it could slow down and open up.

The climax is wonderfully handled – a battle of ideology and sword running parallel with one another, where music and set are compelled to come together in a flourish to make one tremendous whole.

Throughout, the production straddles several tones with a dainty step. The play is genuinely funny, sweet and heartfelt whilst also being an honest interrogation into the nature of sin and forgiveness. One has to applaud such a broad emotional frequency.

Welcome to Pemfort is a play for those who want to laugh and cry on the same in-breath and for those of us for whom the past still lives in the now.