Long Day’s Journey Into Night @ Wyndham’s Theatre, London

Missing Brian Cox in Succession — watch him on stage instead! Whilst this play has been criticised in some quarters for being long, this seems to be its point. Like unpeeling the layers of an onion, this slow-burning play gradually gets to its reveals — and when it does, they are big!

My first Eugene O’Neill play, it felt like watching an Arthur Miller play (character driven, family secrets) — only terribly, terribly sad. Set within a family, the character’s knew each other’s secrets and worried over each other. They expressed care, concern and frustration over each other. Like Jane Austen, the small things mattered — so whilst Mary Tyrone’s (Patricia Clarkson) fussing over her immaculate hair being out of place might cause eye-rolling in the audience, this actually mattered in the end because of what was revealed.

Full of hopes and dreams for what might have been, as well as how ‘socially acceptable’ addictions can be concealed under veneers of outwardly polite and acceptable behaviour — or even long-term illness, we follow the family through their relationships with each other. Two of the characters had terminal health issues, which were (or were not) being faced by other characters.

We were also left to reflect on the characters at the end — was James Tyrone Sr (Brian Cox) mean and selfish or a loving, caring husband? Or both? Was his wife as wronged as she made out? And their sons — does James Jr reflect his father or his mother? I thought it was interesting how it played with perspectives from different points of view about the same situations and people, and in what was said — and not said. Plus it’s not every day you get to see Brian Cox climb up on a table to turn the lights down!

Shining brightly was Louisa Harland as the Tyrone’s servant Cathleen, who brought some levity and joy to the stage. Equally bright was the sudden flash of stage lights after so much dimness which made the audience gasp! Though the play can feel slow and meandering, stay with it, as this is the point — the family and their secrets unravel over time. I guess also a bit Tennessee Williams too — though the drama simmers through time, and often doubles back on itself.

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