PLAY REVIEW: Lee ★★★★

 

Lee, by Cian Griffin and directed by Jason Moore, is a quietly powerful drama that invites reflection on artistry, legacy, and the complications that come with love and loss. Set in 1969, thirteen years after the death of Jackson Pollock, the play imagines Lee Krasner’s studio at a point of tension: when a young art student, Hank, arrives with a mysterious canvas said to have been gifted by Pollock, and challenges everything Krasner believed about her husband’s genius. 

Helen Goldwyn gives a moving performance as Lee Krasner. Her portrayal is layered — proud, vulnerable, resolute — and moments of emotional fracture feel earned rather than theatrical. Against Tom Andrew as Krasner’s late, more prolific painter, Jackson Pollock, the text brings a frosty, vibrant beast that simmers with true chemistry, whilst the interplay with Will Bagnall’s Hank manages to be both tense and intimate. The direction is assured, and Jason Moore does well to balance the historical weight with personal drama.

Visually and atmospherically, the set and design are excellent. Ian Nicholas’s studio feels both lived‑in and symbolic, whilst the lighting by Eliott Sheppard gifts the space with a sense of memory and shadow. The pacing is tight too, as the 80 minute insures there’s little wasted time, though a few moments could have benefited from deeper development of Lee’s internal world. 

Overall, Lee is a thoughtful, well‑acted exploration of identity, creativity, and the pressure of history. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys character‑driven theatre that asks difficult questions without easy answers.