Driftwood
It’s 1956 and Trinidad and Tobago are on the cusp of major political change. Under British Colonial rule daily life has a growing sense of national identity within its population and their economy was changing. In Port of Spain, a gentleman’s club, ALMA, gets caught up in a battle for ownership. Owned by Englishman, Mansion, and run by Pearl and her daughter Ruby it promises its customers a relaxing environment in the sweltering heat. Then in walks Diamond, a mysterious character, who has more ties to ALMA then anyone could imagine. When Diamond hatches a deal with a US Marine, it puts everyone and everything at risk.
Driftwood is Martina Laird’s debut play and directed by Justin Audibert. The story takes place within ALMA. As the central focus of the storyline is within the club, we don’t need to be taken anywhere else. It’s an intimate set within the RSC’s Other Place and suits its surroundings well, the audience are close enough to be a part of the performance.
Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey’s set and costume design transport us to the Caribbean and have a beautiful detail to their surroundings. Whilst Simon Spencer’s lighting design focuses on the mood of the piece.
It’s a small cast of six actors and all should be commended for their powerful performances. Shane David-Joseph plays Seldom and has a few great comedic moments amongst the seriousness of the piece. Ziggy Heath plays Tom, the US Marine who charms everyone to get them onside and then later shows his true lack of empathy. Roger Ringrose is a commanding Mansion, the Englishman who oversees ALMA.
Martins Imhangbe as Diamond and Cat White as Ruby have a good on stage chemistry and their turbulent, ever-changing relationship keeps the audience guessing right till the end about the fates of their characters.
A special mention goes to Ellen Thomas as Pearl whose portrayal has a range of emotions that are shown wonderfully and have a raw honesty to them. Delightful to see.
It is an intriguing piece of theatre, the writing and its performance keep you engaged throughout and it’s not obvious where the story is going to end. The historical aspects of the story are weaved in nicely to the characters stories and give them a relatable life, an enjoyable production all round.
This show was reviewed on the 29th April 2026 at The RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon where it runs until the 30th May 2026. Tickets available here: Driftwood | Royal Shakespeare Company
Review written by Rachel Louise Martin
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Photo credit: Marc Brenner
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