The Holly and the Ivy

9/25/2022

George More O'Ferrall has assembled a really strong cast for his adaptation of Wynyard Browne's emotionally rich play. It all centres around a Christmas family gathering at the home of "Rev. Martin" (Ralph Richardson). As with every such get-together, it becomes a little fraught as his children "Jenny" (Celia Johnson), "Margaret" (Margaret Leighton) and "Michael" (Denholm Elliott) congregate and their not immediately cogent personalities soon start to show through their veneer of politeness. Thing is, they are all still trying to deal with the psychological impact left upon them - and their extended family - following the horrors of the Second World War. To be honest, it can border on the melodramatic at times and it also struggles a bit when Richardson is off screen, but somehow as it adv