Review: Happy Days, Pitlochry Festival Theatre | Siobhán Redmond, Forbes Masson

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Roxana Silbert directs a glorious revival of Beckett's Happy Days at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Read my review here.

Happy Days ★★★★★

Review: 26 September 2026 | Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Samuel Beckett's post-war play Happy Days is revived by Roxana Silbert at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, who directs two of Scotland's finest actors in a powerful, unforgettable tragicomedy.

Winnie (Siobhán Redmond) is buried up to her waist in a mound of sand. She is dressed to the nines in a green evening gown and a black fascinator as she cheerfully works through her daily routine. She brushes her teeth, pulls items from a bag, chats to her hidden, silent husband and waits for an ominous bell to signify the end of the day.

Under the blazing lights, Siobhán Redmond is physically encased within Emma Bailey's striking stage, the centre of a massive pile of sand that overflows into Pitlochry's wonderful studio space. It's a post-apocalyptic world, but one in which Winnie is determined to have a good day despite her trapped existence.

Played with grace and a vibrant fragility by the magnificent Redmond, Winnie remains optimistic despite the passing of time, her isolation, and decline (as Act II opens, Winnie is buried up to her neck and has even less mobility).

Happy Days is an arresting metaphor for human resilience and a horrifying reminder of our mortality. Winnie is literally sinking into the ground before our eyes, yet she stubbornly and cheerfully insists that everything is just peachy.

Winnie's indifferent husband Willie (Forbes Masson) is nearby but unseen for much of the first act. He lives in a hole behind the sand dune and says very little. He has more freedom than his wife, yet seems content to read his newspaper. He does offer a reassuring grunt occasionally when prompted by Winnie.

Although he doesn't have much to say, Forbes Masson's performance is one of terrific intensity and physicality. He lets Redmond shine and even gallantly pushes her forward at the bows, but without him she would be speaking into the void. Willie's existence tells us that Winnie isn't completely mad, and Sibert's intimate direction of the real-life long-term friends is immaculate.

Remarkably for a play where the central character is trapped almost motionless, and the supporting actor is hidden for much of the 100-minute runtime, there's a compelling momentum, a thrilling air of mystery and relentless tension. And much of that comes from Willie's character. Who is he? Where is he? What is he up to now?! Roxana Silbert expertly teases the audience with her tight direction and drives the story to a powerful climax.

Beckett's 1960 play is so beautifully perceptive; it stings with truth as it explores how we live our lives aware of the passing of time and of impending death. Beckett's brilliant words are peppered with humour, but it's his clever, devastating ability to show us truths about the human condition that resonates deepest. He clearly shows us here that even when we are physically next to someone, we can still be entirely alone. Ouch.

Happy Days is a strange, surreal and unsettling play; it's a searing, timeless exploration of how we choose to live our lives. Unbelievably for an almost 70-year-old play, I could see myself in Winnie. And in fact, in her character, I could see most of the women I know: Drowning, often unheard, but resilient and optimistic anyway.

Happy Days is a remarkable piece of theatre, and this is a glorious production from Roxanne Silbert and Pitlochry Festival Theatre. ★★★★★