Waiting for Gandalf

written by Adrian Marks
performed by Chris Neville-Smith
directed by Patrick Sandford and Teresa Hagger

It’s too complete a story to go backward. Yes, forwards is the only way to go. Looking back is such a waste isn’t it? It’s what’s going to be that we should be bothered with. Not all that was. I mean, the past is the past. History. Learn from it and move on."

Meet Kevin Brook, self-confessed fanatic of all things 'Lord of the Rings'. On the eve before 'Gandalf' signs the official movie companion to 'The Two Towers', he sits outside Fenwicks, waiting. He talks about his life-long devotion, friends who don't understand him, family who never had time for him. But what's the real reason for his obsession with Tolkein? Why must he take his mind away from the harsh realities of life? An uncomfortable truth is about to be revealed.

Background

I first came across Waiting for Gandalf at Live Theatre Writers' Group in 2011. Three years later in 2014, having already done Buxton Fringe once, I was looking for another play I could take to keep myself on their radar. This was ideal for me, so I got permission from Adrian Marks and went ahead. It fared about the same as last year in terms of ticket sales, but it got enough attention of reviewers to make me consider the tougher challenge of Brighton. The goal, to start with, was simply to see if I could do it.

And so, in 2016, owing to a combination of sufficiently good coverage, being unavailable during July for Buxton Fringe, news that Sweet Venues were setting up in Brighton and were looking for acts. By this time, I was keen that I should do something about the issue this play covers. So I asked Sweet Venues if they could recommend any charities that support male victims of sexual violence. Coincidentally, it turned out Brighton is home of one of the few organisations that does this, Mankind. Doubly coincidentally, they were putting on their own play, Groomed, where Patrick Sandford talked out his own experiences. Triply coincidentally, the play was being done in exactly the same venue as me.

Anyway, my play again picked up more good reviews but still nothing impressive at the box office. Groomed, on the other hand, was a huge success, getting five-star reviews from basically everyone you can get five-star reviews from. I carried on doing Waiting for Gandalf at a few other places and by mid-2017 assumed this has run its course. Then, out of the blue, Mankind contacted me and asked me to return with the play as part of their Community Squared Portfolio.

Patrick Sandford directed me in a bigger venue. It was a different experience - previously, the ending was meant to come out of the blue, but now that the association with Mankind gave the game away, the focus changed a lot.

That was the only time I was professionally commissioned to act - the vast majority of my paid work has been sound design. But I always looked on this as the breakthrough performance which finally got me taken seriously as a creative.

Gallery

Past Performances

Cumberland Arms, Ouseburn (work in progress): 22nd October, 2013

City Theatre, Durham (work in progress): 25th October, 2013

Empty Shop HQ (preview): 2nd July, 2014

The Old Church, Sacriston (preview): 7th July, 2014

City Theatre, Durham (preview): 10th July, 2014

Underground Venues, Buxton Fringe: 14th - 16th July, 2014

Saltburn Drama Festival: 18th March 2015

Empty Shop HQ: 11th May, 2016

City Theatre, Durham: 19th May, 2016

Sweet Waterfront, Brighton Fringe: 23rd - 29th May, 2016

Royalty Theatre, Sunderland: 10th June, 2016

Bridge Hotel, Newcastle (for Newcastle Castle's Tolkein weekend): 24th September, 2016

The Old Church, Sacriston: Errm ... I can't remember. It was just before Buxton Fringe 2017 though.

United Reformed Church, Buxton Fringe: 18th - 19th July, 2017

City Theatre, Durham (shortened version for Little Theatre Guild Northern Conference): 28th October, 2017 (I think)

Assembly Rooms, Durham: 5th May, 2018

Sweet Waterfront, Brighton Fringe: 14th - 20th May

Saltburn Drama Festival: 16th March 2019

Total 32 performances. Erk.

Reviews, Quotes and Awards

Nominated, New Writing, Buxton Fringe 2014

Adjudicator's Award, Saltburn Drama Festival 2015

FringeGuru preview for Brighton Fringe 2016:

This dark-as-hell one-man play, which we saw at the Buxton Fringe a couple of years ago, makes uncomfortable but rewarding viewing. Telling the life story of an obsessive and socially-awkward Lord Of The Rings fan, the script slowly turns from gentle humour to something far more disturbing – as the reasons for the man’s introspection are gradually revealed. Actor (and theatre blogger) Chris Neville-Smith delivered a brutally uncompromising performance last time round."

- Richard Stamp

Broadway Baby review, Brighton Fringe 2016

This is a nuanced, sympathetic performance of a lost soul that really tugs at the heart strings ... Be prepared for a challenging hour with a dark ending, but expect to leave feeling it was an hour well spent."

- Julia French

Audio interview with FringeReview

Buxton Fringe review, Buxton Fringe 2017

Solo performer Chris Neville-Smith demands your attention from the moment he staggers onto the stage as Tolkein uber - nerd Kevin. In a performance ridden with tics and half-remembered, half buried slices from his past Kevin draws us into his increasingly darkening world. It’s a wonderfully seductive performance of a humorous and scathingly honest script by Adrian Marks that leads you down one path whilst always hinting that another lies in wait." "

- David Hanson

Buxton Fringe review, Buxton Fringe 2017

- David Hanson

First Night review, Brighton Fringe preview 2018

"We quickly start to discover that there is a more vulnerable and troubled side to Kevin. Anecdote by anecdote, his past is revealed and we realise what he has been through. The links between the ‘reality’ of the play and the ‘non-reality’ of The Lord of the Rings, are shown through direct quotations, references to key moments of the books, and a physical ring. This helps with the understanding of difficult, complex topics, while more light-hearted references and jokes release the tension and allow for an enjoyable yet hard-hitting play."

- Kira Browne

The Bubble review, Brighton Fringe preview 2018

He perfectly suited the role, as an audience member you were so comfortable with his presence. Then, as he began to descend from his comical role to reveal the repressed trauma underneath, you felt as if you were with him, hearing the story from a stranger who you’d only met an hour previously."

- David Hanson

Palatinate review, Brighton Fringe preview 2018

Perhaps Neville-Smith’s greatest triumph is how very easy it is to empathise with his character. It is impossible not to feel tied up with Kevin’s tragic story and the feelings that he expresses towards all the people he talks about."

- David Hanson

Broadway Baby review, Brighton Fringe 2018

It is here that where the performance begins to shine. The minimalist set design of a solitary chair and cut-out of Gandalf forces the audience to never break contact with Brook and catch all the nuances he brings to the performance. It slowly dawns that this isn’t a happy-go-lucky Tolkien nerd. His family are distant and uncaring, and he struggles to form meaningful relationships with those around him. The sips of beer turn into mouthfuls and whispers become shouts."

- Alex McCord

Reviews Hub review, Brighton Fringe 2018

Chris Neville-Smith, as Brooks, is an engaging storyteller, with plenty of warmth he is a very likeable performer. The audience are immersed in Brook’s world; a story that feels like it could be a modern addition to Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads series."

- Simon Topping

Best Actor, Saltburn Drama Festival 2019

(Also best comedic moment. I don't understand that one either.)

Credits

written by Adrian Marks

performed by Chris Neville-Smith as Kevin Brook

directed by Teresa Hagger (2013-2017) and Patrick Sandford (2018-2019)

music from The Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack by Howard Shore