Writer and director Pauline Fleming’s tale of Oxton’s very own Gentleman Jack in this original production from Depth Training CIC hints at the intrigue and suspense behind an array of secret relationships during the restrictive Victorian era but doesn’t really get beneath the surface of its two primary characters enough for my liking and their passionate, rule-defying romance.
Jessie Gavin (Gabriella Tavini), an artist from the Wirral, escapes the expectations of her upbringing to pursue the freedom of artistic circles in London and Paris. When she falls in love with pioneering architect Eileen Gray (Alicia Brockenbrow), they create a life filled with creativity, defiance, and desire. But with the world at war, can their relationship survive societal conflicts and pressures.
Coming in at around forty-five minutes, an open-air performance at this time of year is always a gamble and although the rain kindly held off just enough, there was little protection from the wind which contributed to some ghostly effects on stage.
Tavini and Brockenbrow both have a natural stage presence which reinforced their performances with good support provided by Phil Perez, Laura Nock, and Jordan Barkley in a variety of roles. For some reason the cast were miked up, which for a small semi-enclosed setting seemed unnecessary, and when the inevitable technical issues ensued, there wasn’t enough projection to overcome the elements.
The staging was perfectly simple capturing the interior of a property that represents multiple locations during Gavin’s lifetime from birth to death, with scene changes effectively signposted on a flip board, and an accompanying piece of music to embellish the sense of location and events. There were however too many scenes for the short duration of this piece and with stage manager Cornelia Cannell coordinating set adjustments each time, it became somewhat disruptive to the overall flow and given the vast majority of the staging remained consistent throughout, I question if they were entirely necessary.
Writers are always told to ‘show don’t tell’ but unfortunately the challenge with this production was the lack of depth to the story and a reliance on narration of events to move it along which meant there wasn’t enough material for the cast to work with which in turn led to many of the scenes being overly static, with the chess game a particularly laborious watch. Whilst the closing routine had been well-choreographed, if a little contrived, the absence of words reflected my overall frustration.
At a post-show Q&A, Fleming noted the lack of available information about Jessie Gavin but to me that represents an opportunity to imagine and create something that is intertwined around her relationship with the better known Eileen Gray and the other characters referred to, such as Kathleen Scott, Isadora Duncan, and Oscar Wilde – all of whom appear far too briefly – which which would enrich and enliven this production: it has the potential to be so much more – there’s certainly a talented enough cast to deliver it.
The Story of Jessie Gavin is the first of an urban heritage scheme in Oxton designed to explore local characters with a different tale to be performed each year.
The Story of Jessie Gavin has one further performance at Unity Theatre on 17th September at 19:30 but at the time of writing that has sold out so contact the theatre directly in case there is a waiting list.
Reviewer: Mark Davoren
Reviewed: 14th September 2025
North West End UK Rating: