Apples in Winter, LynchPin Theatre Review

Written by Sam for Theatre and Tonic.

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

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Apples in Winter is a production about a mother’s suffering for the last 22 years following the harrowing crime her son committed when he was a teenager. Written by award-winning playwright Jennifer Fawcett and performed by Edie Campbell, who played Miriam, this is a 70-minute show by Lynchpin Productions Theatre Company that will keep you engaged throughout.

Miriam’s son has been on death row for 22 years and today, the state will execute him for murdering two teenagers. As is the tradition when on death row, he is granted one last meal and asks for his mother’s delicious apple pie which is made up of cinnamon, nutmeg and spice. In this compelling play, Miriam talks us through how to make the perfect apple pie, whilst inside the prison kitchen as she tells the tale of what happened 22 years ago.

This was the first time I’ve ever seen a solo performance and it worked well. Campbell filled the studio despite the set being simplistic, she made use of the space and projected her voice well. It was her kitchen, and it felt like we were also living her nightmares.

Miriam is a gentle character, riddled with guilt. When Campbell was in character, I felt like I was listening to Miriam’s audiobook or reading her diary aloud. As she became more and more frustrated, haunted by guilt, I wanted to leave my seat to give her a hug to say it wasn’t her fault. I have a family member who lives with guilt everyday due to her son passing and she didn’t call to check in, he was found deceased days later. 

I think it’s imperative to try and learn from plays wherever possible. And here, I think we can take something away from this show and that is that you’re not responsible for other people’s actions or things that are out of your control. It’s hard to accept this, but in order to continue living your life, you have to let go which is what we see Miriam do towards the end.

Campbell is an extremely talented actress, and I think she made the play more emotive than I thought it would be. I felt her pain. There were moments where it almost felt surreal - it didn’t feel like a rehearsed production, it was so realistic. Miriam’s pain was shown through her body language, her tone of voice as she was often distressed and through baking her son’s final apple pie. It was slick and I don’t know how Campbell was able to make a pie without referring to a recipe somewhere, remembering all her lines and the order of the ingredients as well as portraying emotion. It was spectacular to watch someone execute all of this in a solo play because we’re so used to seeing others on stage to help bring the very best out in other performers.

In my opinion, if the person playing Miriam didn’t give it their all, I feel the play could fall a little flat and may not keep the audience engaged as it’s more about listening to the mother’s story more so than movement / action. There were times where I was expecting something more, maybe flashbacks of the crime (with others involved) or a picture of her son somewhere for reference but as the play nears the end, I gained a better understanding of the backstory.

This theatre company is performing at different venues around the country, with the next being in Corby. If you would like to see this thought-provoking one-person show, please visit their website here.

★ ★ ★ ★