Their Very Own and Golden City

Synopsis

Durham Cathedral, 1926. Sunlight streams through stained glass, illuminating the sketchbooks of young dreamers.

Andrew Cobham, an apprentice draughtsman with fire in his eyes and lead on his fingers, huddles with his friends amidst the ancient stone pillars. As their pencils dance across paper, capturing the cathedral’s soaring arches, they passionately debate their shared vision: six beautiful cities, built for and owned by the people. But time is a fickle architect. The play leaps forward, tracing the group’s journey through grueling apprenticeships, the corridors of civic bureaucracy, the crucible of war, and the stark realities of post-war Britain. Their youthful idealism collides with compromise, disillusionment, and the harsh blueprints of reality.

Wesker’s epic spans decades, weaving together personal stories with the grand fabric of social change and urban development. The play’s structure mirrors the ambitious scope of its characters’ dreams, jumping through time to explore the gap between youthful aspirations and adult realities. Yet, even as the intervening years chip away at their plans, Priestley leaves us with a bittersweet return to that sun-dappled day in Durham. The dream, though battered, remains intact – a poignant reminder of the power of idealism in the face of a changing world.