"Jeffrey Mayhew’s bleak, powerful short play at the Pleasance Courtyard...Stanley, played with wonderful lumpen sweetness by John Garfield-Roberts: a big ungainly oaf snapping his Marigolds on as he deals with the detritus of John’s squalid life. ... Brilliantly done and the payoff is overwhelming." - Libby Purves
"We are often exposed to the psychological effects of alcoholism in theatre, but few shows demonstrate the physical effects quite as effectively as Bright is the Ring of Words...Garfield-Roberts’ oafish attentiveness makes you want to step onstage, hug him and tell him to walk out.If you’ve been overdoing the drinking in Edinburgh so far, this is definitely the show to temporarily put you off your scotch."
"Bright Is the Ring Of Words is a poignant look at the relationship between two men brought together by their mistakes...Garfield-Roberts makes him (Stanley) a sympathetic character, showing his vulnerability and strength at different moments and reacting to John’s unpredictable behaviour...an engaging play that is enjoyable to watch."
Threeweeks.co.uk
“Bright is the Ring of Words is an intelligent and insightful exploration into an encounter between two men who are worlds apart. ..This show is a mini rollercoaster of emotions, there are flashes of youthful hope and ageing resignation, with exchanges which are mischievously humorous and tinged with sadness between this frustrated unlikely pairing...Simply and intimately staged...Quietly Moving” |
"It's a low-key domestic drama which benefits from a sharp and well observed script, and two finely tuned performances.... John Garfield-Roberts's bear-like "ASBO boy" Stanley is caring and exasperated in equal measure, and the duo combine well in a solid and bittersweet odd-couple piece with a strong thread of quality throughout."
"Mayhew and Garfield-Roberts have a great physicality between them on stage and the image of death and abundant life manifests in the air between them. Whilst not a particularly original scenario, the sensitivity Mayhew shows in his script and the depth of feeling on stage allows the tale to unravel in a engrossing and suitably distressing hour."
Fringereview.co.uk
"Bitingly real, powerful theatre revealing the tragic comedy that is life...Garfield-Robert's performance is affecting. His Sing song voice and house-proud busyness beautifully contrast his yobbish crime and large physique, presenting us with a complex character who is vulnerable in the hands of prejudice and social deprivation. The monologue at the end is captivating and deeply moving...the acting is stunning, the writing clever and well structured and the staging and directing are tight and seamless. " |
"Gentle giant John Garfield-Roberts is moving in the carer role."
Remotegoat.co.uk
John Garfield-Roberts plays Stanley as a mumsy recidivist whose combination of Lancastrian homilies derived from his beloved 'Nan' and occasional eruptions of violent anger are both wholly credible and endlessly watchable...there are some great lines, and the comic moments are well-delivered, it's the authenticity of the central performances that holds your attention, and both the struggle over the alcoholic's grasp on the vodka bottle and the final catastrophe seemed entirely real to me."
John Garfield-Roberts plays Stanley as a mumsy recidivist whose combination of Lancastrian homilies derived from his beloved 'Nan' and occasional eruptions of violent anger are both wholly credible and endlessly watchable...there are some great lines, and the comic moments are well-delivered, it's the authenticity of the central performances that holds your attention, and both the struggle over the alcoholic's grasp on the vodka bottle and the final catastrophe seemed entirely real to me."
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