The Corn is Green (London) London Reviews and Tickets

87%

(6 Reviews)

Positive

100%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Absorbing, Great staging, Must see, Clever, Thought-provoking

About the Show

Williams’ semi-autobiographical play about life in a poverty-stricken mining community in Wales.

Set in North Wales during the nineteenth century, an English teacher does her utmost to educate the young local miners so that they may climb out of poverty despite resistance from the community.

Welsh playwright Emlyn Williams was inspired to write 'The Corn Is Green' following his own experience of being supported by his school teacher to continue with his studies rather than working in the mines.

The National Theatre's major revival production of Emlyn Williams' play is directed by Dominic Cooke ('The Normal Heart', 'Follies').

Member Reviews (6)

100

Must see, Great writing, Great staging, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if you like a terrific play, brilliantly staged, with incredible acting.I have never given a show a rating of 100.But this one is flawless.GO!

Don't see it if you are looking for Mama Mia or Jersey Boys. This has something important to say and says it well. Great story. Perfection!

Pleasant

See it if you love Nicola Walkers.

Don't see it if you don't want to sit through a 2.5 hour drama.

Thought-provoking, Great writing, Great staging, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You want to be stimulated by good writing & acting

Don't see it if If you don’t like serious theatre Read more

Must see, Masterful, Entertaining, Clever, Absorbing

See it if You’re a Nicola walker fan, she puts in a great performance

Don't see it if Don’t enjoy welsh choirs

Great staging, Absorbing, Clever

See it if You like period pieces

Don't see it if You are expecting a lot of singing

During previews

Thought-provoking, Entertaining, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if you are after a serious play with solid acting that won't disappoint.

Don't see it if you have a problem with a script steeped with the 19th century attitudes. Read more

Critic Reviews (9)

I can’t see anything other than A*s being bestowed on Walker’s unmissable performance...School-days may or may not be the best days of our lives; what this riveting evening brings home is how crucial they invariably are.
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It would be easy to write off this revival of Emlyn Williams’ semi-autobiographical drama as an example of post-lockdown “comfort theatre”...But if it is comfort viewing, it is undeniably artful, affecting and hugely entertaining.
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It's that sense of voice, of education unlocking an ability to speak, that makes The Corn is Green such a powerful story. This production reveals that truth under the melodramatic gesturing. As Noel Coward said of cheap music, it is extraordinary how potent it is.
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Yes, it’s all very old-fashioned, and the neatly packaged ending wouldn’t get through a script conference at Call the Midwife. Signing off with Thanks for the Memory is clumsy, too. Yet for all that, it’s still a curiously watchable time capsule.
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Cooke is aware of the play’s faults and is content to examine rather than erase them, but the greatest strength here is that he finds the play’s missing heart.
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Yet this is ultimately a paean to the self-sacrificing dedication of great teachers – and, thanks to Walker’s blazing performance, it’s a lesson that touches the heart too.
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Although the play is a heartfelt tribute to Miss Cooke, Williams’s own teacher, it is written with an uneasy mixture of jolly humour and deeply felt idealism.
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This is a fine example of how to revive a dated play and make it feel postmodern and fresh. But the text of ‘The Corn is Green’ lacks the raw power needed to make this exercise feel worthwhile...Strong performances and an undeniable momentum make it fun to watch, but there's not much to ponder when the music fades.
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