Review by Kathryn S. Kraus
Mirium stands alone in front of a kitchen workstation, flanked by mixing bowls, and ingredients needed to make her “famous” apple pie for her only son, Robert. Speaking with an American southern drawl, she begins kneading her dough whilst molding her tale for the audience. Hers is a tale of motherhood, grief, love, guilt, stigma, and forgiveness. We learn that Mirium is not in her home kitchen, and she is not simply baking a dessert treat for her son. She is in a prison kitchen, Robert is on death row, and the pie is his final meal request before his execution.
Written by Jennifer Fawcett, brilliantly presented by Surrey-based LynchPin Theatre Company, and performed by their co-founder Edie Campbell, Apples in Winter is a powerful and heartbreaking portrayal of a mother coming to terms with how the child she raised ended up in prison, together with the fact that she is baking the last piece of food he will ever taste on this Earth. As different ingredients for the pie get mixed into the bowl, so too do the details of Mirium’s relationship with her son, her relationship with extended family after his incarceration, and ultimately the details of his crime.
Credit must go to all involved, the emotionally charged script by Jennifer Fawcett, the staunch direction of Claire Parker, and the powerhouse performance from Edie Campbell. Applause too for the unseen technical and music contributors, the haunting prison sounds and the Ry Cooder-esque music by Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage. Silence also plays a huge part, not easy to achieve when it’s a full house, as it was, but a pin drop might have been heard during the intense moments of quiet. Congratulations to the LynchPin ensemble, and to the Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery for hosting the production.
This thought-provoking show will leave many viewers emotionally shaken and may lead to more open conversations about justice and forgiveness. Apples in Winter is a must-see for the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe.
VENUE 29: The Annexe at Paradise in The Vault DATE: Aug 8-30 TIME: 10.30am daily.
Booking link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/apples-in-winter
Reviewed by Kathryn S Kraus with contributions from Kevin Short.
Apples in Winter, deservedly, played to a Sold Out appreciative audience at Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery, which also houses a comfortable performance and event space. Housed in the former Victorian Police Station, this is a somewhat hidden gem, with a calendar of exhibitions, workshops, sketch clubs, family events, art, poetry, theatre events, and more. It is also home to the Edward Thomas Centre, containing the Tim Wilton-Steer Collection of works by and about the poet Edward Thomas (1878-1917). There’s also a biannual literary festival held in Thomas’ name. Other current collections include: Archaeological Bronze-age artefacts from the local area, Social History, Photography, and Fashion and Textile collections ranging from the 18th century to the present day.
Two other Exhibitions and Displays running until September 26th are certainly worth a visit. Rarely seen drawings from the 1920s and 30s by Flora Twort and the display of Sir Stanley Spencer’s The Poultry Market, Petersfield. On loan from the UK Government Art Collection, this is the first time the painting has been shown in Petersfield, the town that inspired it.
Like some of the Collections, the building itself is a wonderful example of how the old and new can compliment and celebrate the coming together of architectural and artistic design. One enters through a Victorian Police Station exterior, and arrives inside a tastefully designed modern-day wonder, even the old courthouse becomes part of the fusion. Architects and designers of this curiosity site, both bygone and contemporary, deserve praise for their vision. From the 1800’s to 2020’s, this building’s transition, in part, thanks to the Heritage Fund, Arts Council, some notable Patrons, and an array of hard-working welcoming staff, is a marvellous model of change for the better. Something today needs more of. Thank you, Petersfield.
For more information visit: https://www.petersfieldmuseum.co.uk
Article: Kevin Short Photographs: Richard Chivers and courtesy of Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery.