By Tom Wells
New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme
5–24 July 2025

Many people may not be too keen on sitting in a darkened theatre on a hot summer’s evening. But opting for a barbecue instead of a play may mean you miss out on a tasty gem of a production.

Tom Wells’ Big Big Sky had its première at Hampstead Theatre in 2021 and the New Vic’s decision to revive it is a sound one even if it doesn’t get the audiences it deserves during what’s expected to be one of the hottest months of the year.

When he was asked what the play was about Wells replied: “Love and grief and birdwatching.” That sums up Big Big Sky without revealing the heartbreaking yet heart-warming layers that are peeled away as the play’s four characters unveil their hopes, dreams and fears.

Nor does it convey the true-to-life and unsentimental portrayal of four ordinary people who are affected not by world-changing events but day-to-day problems that everyone encounters.

Big Big Sky is set in Kilnsea, a small, remote, coastal village in East Yorkshire. Birdwatchers and tourists drop into a café until the birds fly south. Owner Angie and employee Lauren then pack up at the end of the season and look forward to a rest over the winter.

The arrival of geeky Ed who is preparing for an interview for his dream job as tern warden at the nearby nature reserve changes everyone’s outlook.

The cast all deliver Wells’ natural script in a delightful way, amplifying the characters’ traits as they come to terms with their everyday problems.

Tanya-Loretta Dee, last seen at the New Vic in 2024 as Jan in Amanda Whittington’s Ladies Down Under, shines as Angie who doesn’t have many friends and eventually discloses she is still suffering from the loss of a loved one 20 years ago.

Roxanne Morgan elicits empathy as Lauren whose mother recently died. She has to try to keep her dad on an even keel as he turns to atypical pastimes to overcome his grief. Morgan gives an extraordinary performance. She also plays guitar and sings heartfelt songs in a moving, profound way.

Simeon Truby as Lauren’s dad Dennis initially appears a jovial, likeable person who turns up just as the café is closing each day to get his fill of leftover pasty and beans. Truby skilfully unwraps Dennis’ insecurity as he reluctantly admits how he too is grieving.

As Ed, Sam Baker-Jones is at first a bit of a nerd: he’s a vegan who drinks only peppermint tea, gets excited about learning line dancing and puts his rucksack on upside down. But he discovers he and Lauren have something in common: both have lost their mother. There is an awkward attraction between the couple, with Baker-Jones exhibiting commendable tenderness.

Bryn Holding, a former assistant director at the New Vic, is at the helm. He gets the cast to bring out all the tension and humour of Wells’ script, meaning that Big Big Sky is a joy from start to finish.

* This review originally appeared on the British Theatre Guide website