Foxfinder - Sewell Barn Theatre (28.05.2025)

An air of foreboding lingers in the Sewell Barn auditorium, as Dawn King's unsettling piece plays out in gripping fashion.

The setting for this distinctly dystopian drama is a struggling farm in the English countryside, run by husband and wife Samuel and Judith Covey. When we meet the couple, they are already troubled by the death of their son and their failing crops, and now find themselves under investigation by 'foxfinder' William Bloor.

Indoctrinated from a young age about the apparent power of the fox, William is single-minded in his quest to prove that the presence of a fox is behind the couples' troubles. His power and influence over the future of farmers' livelihoods leads neighbours to betray each other, and drives the clearly depressed and guilt-ridden Samuel into a state of delusion.

The piece is driven by four actors, with Gavin Bromley and Katie Cary playing Samuel and Judith, John Dawson as William, and Loretta Askew as neighbour and friend, Sarah. Each of their portrayals was excellent, with a palpable tension binding the cast in an overall flawless performance.

Dawson was magnetically menacing as the young bureaucrat whose earnest demeanour takes a surprising and sinister turn. His performance was calm, collected, and so precise. Bromley was equally impressive as the bedraggled Samuel, and his skilled depiction of the descent of a fragile man was masterful.

Cary, as a partner pushed to her limits, was a captivating watch. Her characters' emotions were a lot nearer the surface, but Cary showed a wonderful restraint in not overplaying the drama. Askew, dressed in a distinctly fox-coloured outfit (possibly symbollically given her ac), gave a similarly powerful performance as Judith's conflicted friend.

Director Stephen Keyworth did a great job of ensuring the tension of the piece itself transferred onto the audience somewhat with the wooden panelled set, low-level lighting, and ethereal music and sounds all contributing to a deeply oppressive and affecting atmosphere. Theatre at its absolute best.

Foxfinder continues at Sewell Barn Theatre until 7 June.