Abi Davies Archives - Page 10 of 16 - thespyinthestalls.com

★★★

“a little more finesse in both writing and performance could have shifted things up a gear from good to really, really great”

Being dumped sucks. Being dumped after a decade in a relationship? Well… that’s something else. Natasha Santos’ script and performance explores the trauma – and ultimate redemption – in forensic detail.

The Everest of the title is Rob Everest, Libby’s (now) ex-boyfriend and sometime nemesis. Santos has great fun as Libby, clearly enjoying the playfulness of her script and exerting considerable charisma. And she gives us lots to enjoy; Libby regales us with her woes via clever musical accompaniment and much wit. We’re treated to flashbacks to her childhood friendship to the strains of the Spice Girls, an excruciating workout class to Salt-N-Pepa and, poignantly, José González’ Heartbeats as we see the first glimmers of Libby’s hope for a new life.

The music choices are uniformly great (what better break-up song is there than Nothing Compares 2 U?) and special mention must go to the choreography, which is hilariously on point. The trio flick into movements in perfect unison (including a memorable impersonation of Libby’s ex’s sexual prowess), adding a polish to the fast-moving performance.

With all the riotous humour of the piece, though, the production can at times feel overdone. Characterisations, such as that of Libby’s ghastly colleague Sandra, can creep towards parodic gurning, and this does a disservice to the quality acting on offer (both of Santos’ fellow actors Grace Dunne and George Vafakis more than hold their own here, with some beautifully wry performances). Some of the more extreme caricatures of heartbreak feel more than a little hackneyed, as Libby knocks back the Pinot and drunk dials Rob to sing Whitney down the line. And small details can feel distracting and detract from an otherwise smooth production; pretending to swig from empty wine bottles feels like a mimicry too far, for example.

It’s great to see such a defiantly female-led production, from Santos as writer and lead to director Katherine Timms and especially great work from technical designer Abi Toghill. And it’s an appealing production, too. Just a little more finesse in both writing and performance could have shifted things up a gear from good to really, really great.

Reviewed by Abi Davies

Funeral Flowers

The Bunker

Reviewed – 17th April 2019

★★★½

“this production leaves its audience invested, breathless and nurturing a small bud of hope”

The dark space of The Bunker Theatre glows dimly as we enter. As our eyes adjust, it’s clear that one wall shimmers with suspended flowers, gradually phasing through colours from chilly blues to glowing pinks. With this, we step into Angelique’s world.

This one-woman show from Harts Theatre Company and Power Play brings us a story that, tragically, is not new. Angelique finds herself all too alone in the world, with her mum incarcerated and her dad (‘the sperm donor’) invisible. We follow her, literally, in this promenade piece, as she struggles to navigate the care system and independent living. This tale could be all too familiar, but Angelique, who shares her name with a type of tulip, wants to be a florist. Her spaces and thoughts brim with flowers, and we find ourselves swept into this world. Through the prism of her floral inner and outer life, her tale takes on new significance.

Funeral Flowers’ immersive success owes a huge debt to dreamy, flower-filled set design of Minglu Wang. The black box of The Bunker takes on astonishing beauty – not for nothing are several florists credited on the programme. These spaces become menacing when the story darkens using clever lighting from James Dawson.

Emma Dennis-Edwards is compelling as our protagonist. The challenge of representing a teenager peeks through at times (especially during the longish opening scene) where her moods and mannerisms can feel affected, even exaggerated. In her more nuanced moments though, she’s riveting to watch – not for nothing does this show carry a warning of triggering scenes of sexual violence. Credit must be given to the production for handling this so sensitively, with warnings in advance via the website and programme, the option of leaving and returning another time proffered and details to survivor support services signposted.

There are moments that don’t hold together as well as Dennis-Edwards’ performance and Rachel Nwokoro’s confident direction. A little audience engagement is fun but its purpose is unclear, and the hurly-burly of fitting the sizeable audience into the confined seating area at the start (an impossible task) means that we begin a good ten minutes late. But these fade away when Dennis-Edwards brings her irrepressible cast of characters to the stage, each one as real as the next. This is especially true of her rendering of Angelique’s sometime boyfriend Ricky. Spoiler alert: Ricky is not a nice man. Dennis-Edwards has the audience reacting with audible gasps at some of his behaviour.

The presence of the flower wall calls to mind the work of artist Anya Gallaccio, who created vast installations of cut flowers which are allowed to gradually die away. As the performance comes to a close, it’s not clear whether Angelique will flourish or herself wither and die. What is clear is that this production leaves its audience invested, breathless and nurturing a small bud of hope.

The Hope Theatre

Reviewed – 29th April 2019

★★★

“a little more finesse in both writing and performance could have shifted things up a gear from good to really, really great”

Being dumped sucks. Being dumped after a decade in a relationship? Well… that’s something else. Natasha Santos’ script and performance explores the trauma – and ultimate redemption – in forensic detail.

Reviewed by Abi Davies

Getting Over Everest

Hope Theatre

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

The Bunker

Reviewed – 17th April 2019

★★★½

“this production leaves its audience invested, breathless and nurturing a small bud of hope”

The dark space of The Bunker Theatre glows dimly as we enter. As our eyes adjust, it’s clear that one wall shimmers with suspended flowers, gradually phasing through colours from chilly blues to glowing pinks. With this, we step into Angelique’s world.

Reviewed by Abi Davies

Photography by Kofi Dwaah

Funeral Flowers

The Bunker until 4th May

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: