A tender, quietly powerful stage play exploring time, love and loss returns to Cliftonville as The Terribly Disappointing Mr Pummel is staged at the Tom Thumb Theatre on Sunday 15 February at 2pm.
.Written by local playwright Floyd Toulet, the play centres on Samuel Pummel, a celebrated but emotionally guarded author, and Phoebe “Fee” Boone.
Their chance meeting on a secluded Greek beach in 1979 leads to an annual reunion that unfolds over more than 20 years. As the characters age from their 50s into later life, the audience go back in time to witness a relationship shaped as much by what is left unsaid as by moments of warmth, humour and connection — all watched over by a much loved sea turtle named Thelma.
Directed by Luke Jones and performed by Caroline Emes and Jimmy Dean, this two-hander uses a single location and a simple structure to explore memory, ageing and the rituals that bind people together across time. Its themes of love deferred, opportunities missed, and the quiet passage of years are likely to resonate particularly strongly with older audiences, offering recognition, reflection and emotional truth rather than sentimentality.
By turns funny, raw and quietly devastating, The Terribly Disappointing Mr Pummel is a poignant reminder of the fragility of life — and of the importance of the moments we choose to share.
Tickets, from £13.50, at: https://billetto.co.uk/e/the-terribly-disappointing-mr-pummel-tickets-1759303
