Tender Mercies @ The Bread & Roses Theatre

01.10.2022

Attending Collette Cullen’s piece Tender Mercies, after having previously reviewed her award-winning script When Rachel Met Fiona, I was interested to see her re-telling of a story which had already received some cultural interest.

The play concerned the story of the woman who lay dead in her home for a year before being discovered by her twin brother, and it re-imagined what her life might have been like up until this point. I think Collette Cullen did a good job of bringing to life her personality and lifelong yearning for human connection. The script jumped across the timelines of her life, from childhood through to old age, and built the journey that such a woman might have had. One aspect of the script I really enjoyed was the multi-role play between her and her hairdressing clients, however, it felt a bit too obvious that all these relationships would’ve been negative. Might there have been an opportunity for some stronger human connection? Overall the concept had good potential and allowed for what should’ve been a smooth fringe show, with fast-changing scenes played by one compelling character.

The set supported the pace of the show by having all the props onstage throughout. But this meant little was left to the imagination, with bottles of wine sat out for the entire performance despite not really being relevant until the final quarter of the show. The dolls house sat in the corner implied we were going to see aspects of childhood, which again removed aspects of surprise. Therefore while the set was functional, it simplified the show a little too much.

The show was let down in its potential by Wendy Fisher’s performance. Despite having some success in the role, such as her ability to adopt several roles and ages, her performance lacked conviction and frequently had to be prompted on lines. Each aspect of the role could have been pushed further, and on the odd occasion that her characterisation was pulling you in, you would be disrupted again by her request for a line. It is disappointing to see a show let down by something so fundamental in theatre, and returning from the show I had to check that Wendy hadn’t stepped in last minute on someone else’s behalf.

Hopefully, Collette can make some revisions to a script that has good potential, and re-cast for a stronger performance of Tender Mercies.

Rosa @ The Courtyard Theatre

Rosa is a one woman show about a woman (named Rosa) who fixates on her ability to control time throughout the day, causing her to fear sleep. The script follows her neurotic daily routine in a convincing but also bizarre manner.

Things I liked about this piece…

Committed characterisation- I found Carlota Arencibia a thoroughly committed actress, never slipping in her characterisation even during the comedic moments. The piece had already started from the moment the audience entered, which was a clever way of amplifying the realism of the piece. We really had walked into the room of a mad woman. Movement was a key and clever part of Carlota’s performance, mostly to embody the time she was fixated on, as well as to physicalise Rosa’s desire for control. This added to the thoroughness of the characterisation as well as the comedy of the piece. Most of the comedy, however, came from the quirks of Rosa’s daily routine such as her morning wee which was done on stage into a plant pot, using a water pouch tucked into her knickers. Other absurd moments included her morning cup of coffee, which was poured over her face, her exercises, which included putting match sticks in her eyes, as well as the period she spends rubbing her clit, a small pillow attached to her knickers. All these elements made for a convincing and funny portrayal of her neurotic character but also were evidence of what an incredible piece of writing Rosa is.

Set Design- This is the most fully realised set I’ve seen in a small scale production this year. It was made up of white painted wooden panelling which formed the three walls to the room. The white fresh paint was reminiscent of a mental asylum but the wood complicated this, making it feel more like a painter and decorator set or even a heavenly garden. The idea of it being a painter and decorator set was heightened by the roll-on paint brush which stood propped up on the wall throughout the piece, as well as the white linen flooring. This not-quite-finished state of the set nicely amplifies the sense of being stuck in time, much like Rosa. The set also mirrored her desire for balance, with props tending to come in equal numbers and there being only one stand out colour, red. The only sense of imbalance came from the roll on brush which looked as though it could have been left accidentally, cleverly highlighting the scene’s artificiality, much like her own sense of control.

If I had to moan…

This is a naturally difficult piece to critique due to its originality. However, I think to not lose sight of diction would be a good point to make, as parts of the performance were lost in the zig zagging of content. While the fast paced speech was obviously a deliberate characterisation choice, I think too much was missed at times.

The silent Mrs Coffman, the person Rosa speaks to throughout, was an unclear concept. Who is she? Do we know? Should we care? I found myself straddling the ideas that: Mrs Coffman was imaginary, Mrs Coffman was a psychiatrist, Mrs Coffman is whoever the audience want her to be. I think whether or not Mrs Coffman is supposed to be anything particular or not, it needs to be stated clearer as I found my attempt to grasp it distracting and spent half the piece worrying I’d missed the answer.

Finally, I would’ve liked to have seen Carlota go further in Rosa’s moments of fear, to elevate the contrast with the mostly lighthearted tone of the production.

Overall, this was an incredibly well written, performed and managed piece which I would highly recommend for anyone seeking something slightly unconventional. I wish this production the best of luck going forward and I have no doubt they will do well. Carlota is a real force.

Trouble @ The Chapel Playhouse

18.09.19.

Lizzie Annis’ ‘Trouble’, is a linguistically powerful and genuinely moving depiction of a night out from the perspective of a woman with Cerebral palsy.

It is both familiar and enlightening as it comments on sleazy men, social awkwardness, friendship and dating but from the perspective of someone with a disability. The piece was both hilarious and heartbreaking in one short half an hour sitting as it gives light to both the complexities but also humour which derives from the social repercussions of having a disability.

What I loved…

The language. The entire piece was written as essentially, one long poem with a rhyming scheme running throughout. It was cleverly paced, colloquial yet elevated with clever use of imagery throughout so that no set or props were required. I was struck by what an incredible piece of writing it was.

Multi-Role.

Throughout the piece, Lizzie embodies the people she interacts with simply by changing the tone of her voice and movement. I found this a lovely way of making a simple piece more powerful. She does a really good job of showing how sometimes less is more.

If I had to moan…

This is a really difficult piece to criticise as I genuinely loved it however, I felt some of the transition in her multiple-role playing could have been sharpened. At times it wasn’t entirely obvious who was speaking or which character she was embodying. Therefore I would say simply to focus on sharpening the tone and movement at all times, to avoid blurring the characters.

Overall however, I found this to be a really clever and contemporary piece of feminist theatre. We need more like this.

Post Popular @ Edinburgh Fringe- My Recommendation.

03.08.2019. Not for the faint hearted.

Lucy is utterly brilliant, fearless and spontaneous in her latest piece Post Popular. Her piece combines theatre, dance and vocals in a thoroughly interactive piece which relies upon audience participation. A dramatic retelling of women throughout history, from Eve to the present day, Post Popular is far from what you might expect.

The piece acts as a statement of female power while simultaneously reflecting on the lack of female presence in our history books. Lucy, with her incredible comic timing, unrelenting commitment and brave choices counterbalances the weak and lacking women in the stories. This idea is amplified by the two men which accompany Lucy throughout the piece acting as her extras but appearing more like her servants.

In order to not give too much away I will end this review here simply to say if you are not afraid to get your hands dirty, it’s a must see.

Warning: contains nudity and strong language.

9/10

Stream @The Drayton Arms Theatre

09. 04. 19

Tonight I saw the first of what is going to be a week long run of the production ‘Stream’, which is divided into two short plays split by an interval. Despite being in the same production these two plays are highly contrasting in style and theme as my review will show.

Salmon

If I had to sum up Salmon in a word it would be, claustrophobic- a description which can only probably be fully understood after watching the production. Everything in this play overlaps: speech, space, meaning- making the small upstairs theatre at The Drayton Arms pub a very apt space for this production. The play begins as what appears to be a comment on the mundanity of life as we hear the story of a young Scottish man, from a town where nothing much happens whose dog recently died. However, as the play unfolds it shows itself to be a powerful watch, rich in meaning. Some of the best aspects of this production was undoubtedly the writing- language and especially imagery is used very originally throughout. I also found the actors Scottish accents thoroughly convincing, their timing well executed and commitment to the characters strong. I think if I were to critique this production at all I’d suggest slowing it down in places, the fast pace generally adds to the claustrophobia nicely, however in places speech gets lost and we are left wanting a pause. I also think the penultimate scene with the main guy and girl laid together- probably my favourite scene from the whole production- would have made for a more poignant close as it offered a welcome stillness. However, these are simply points for the company to think about as they head off to The Edinburgh Fringe Fest where I have no doubt they will do well. The production is running for the remainder of the week in The Drayton Arms, London and if you are heading to Edinburgh and you are looking for a thought -provoking watch, definitely give these guys a watch.

My rating 7/10

Mom Bob

Mom Bob is simply a great feminist watch, acting as commentary on womanhood as well as tapping into the relatable mundanity of human experience. It’s simplicity, one woman (and some wooden ducks) on stage relaying her feelings about a recent incident in her biological daughter’s life, makes it a profound watch. It covered everything from the extreme side of a woman’s experience- domestic abuse- to the everyday naggings of societal expectations; I found it thoroughly relatable. It is an incredibly well written, as well as, well performed piece by Jane Hancock, the one woman’ed band who both wrote and performed her piece. I was gripped from the second the protagonist began speaking and her monologue succeeded in making me feel every spectrum of emotion from laughter to watery eyes. If this piece was anything to go by, I would recommend seeing another of Jane Hancock’s plays, she’s a force to be reckoned with.

My rating 8/10