“A painfully realistic portrayal of the harshness of real life endured by so many”
The working partnership of writer Leon Fleming and director Scott le Crass return with this bleak two-hander focusing on often ignored, mental health and modern day socio-economic issues.
Set in and around a Birmingham tower block, it’s a gritty real life tale of the hardships facing ‘Him’ (James Clay) and ‘Her’ (Helen Budge) – a close brother and sister both battling against illness, living on the breadline and a seemingly uncaring system.
The story flits between the childhood of the siblings, the sneaky Lambrini swigging sessions (hastily disguised with a Polo mint) discussing their hopes and dreams for later life, to present day – ‘Her’ now an unemployed mother of two young children struggling to cope and ‘Him’ also jobless and battling with mental health issues and the stigma that comes with them. Their mother, with her own complex issues adding to the ever increasing burden on the pair.
James Clay and Helen Budge are very believable siblings; slightly bossy older sister, insecure younger brother, relentless Mickey taking of one another, petty rivalries, but always a deep and caring, ever conquering love for one another.
Clay’s mannerisms and acting throughout are signs of an excellently researched piece. The constant awkwardness of his hands, wringing and grasping; his ever present knack of finding humour in adversity masking his inner sadness; the pained facial expressions, all very realistic traits of a young life being lost to the demons of anxiety and depression.
Budge as a mouthy mother and outspoken sister is equally charming. You really start to feel for her, struggling to cope and to make ends meet. We share her happiness and laughter and feel her pain as it finally all gets too much for her.
A stark set (Justin Williams and Jonny Rust) comprising of drab concrete paving and four featureless cubes made to resemble concrete blocks worked perfectly. Simply rearranged to create everything from a soulless jobcentre to a hospital bed or even a loving home – their simplicity belies their adaptability. Symbolic to the harshness of life, yet also with a hidden beauty.
Kicked in the Sh*tter makes you really think about people. Real people. The situations portrayed in Fleming’s plot are fact for millions around the country yet all too often the only air time they ever get portrays them all as spongers and layabouts. Our brother and sister are neither, they are where they are because of the hand life has dealt them – desperate for help, but faced with a black and white social security system that judges and rarely sees shades of grey.
It’s a painfully realistic portrayal of the harshness of real life endured by so many and thus deserves a larger audience; a perfect piece to be adapted for a television drama.
A disappointing turn out to the show I saw, perhaps the combined pairing of mental health and social economics a bit ‘too much’ for some, or they have preconceived ideas jaded by frivolous Channel 5 documentaries. I would implore you to go and see this show with an open mind. You will see things in a light you wouldn’t expect. You will be moved and touched.
“This is one impressive play you will never forget”
We first meet Jane and Arthur, the two characters in this one act debut play from Matthew Seager, upon entering the theatre. They are seemingly a care free couple enjoying some time together in their living room. As the audience settles, there’s a dramatic change, Arthur suddenly slumps into his chair, his body twisted and his speech incoherent …
In Other Words follows the couple’s journey from ‘the incident’ of how they met to the tragic situation they now find themselves in. This is a story about dementia and unconditional love.
The duo playing the couple, Celeste Dodwell and Matthew Seager are both young actors. At times, without tuning in to fleeting references or referring to the programme, it’s not always clear what period of time has elapsed and indeed how old the characters are. This comes across as a deliberate ploy to make you think and to raise awareness that this cruel disease itself, takes little notice of age.
The scenes flit, via white noise, muffled words and flickering lights, between Arthur being his usual cheery self, and each of the progressive stages of his illness.
At times humorous, with Arthur’s early forgetfulness jokingly brushed aside as male stupidity, the laughs slowly become fewer. We are taken on Arthur’s tear jerking one way trip through doctor’s appointments, diagnosis and prognosis, to the hollow shell of a man he becomes.
“It feels like he is leaving me”, Jane says as she struggles to cope with Arthur’s increasingly challenging behaviour. Yet despite the extreme pressure she is under, only once do we see her snap, an action she instantly regrets. This is a man she still dearly loves even though to him, she is a stranger.
By the final scene, the only thing left that invokes any semblance of the old Arthur is the sound of hearing ‘their song’ Fly me to the Moon. That one enduring link to the moment they met, ‘now being all that is left from a lifetime of memories.
For such a moving piece, at times needing total quiet to portray the raw emotion from the actors, The Hope has a few issues. There was a lot of noise from downstairs and being on a main road, the occasional siren or hooting of horns interrupts the moment. Not a lot that can be done about this as it is a pub theatre in a busy location, but this was my one and only issue with the performance.
Both characters are truly believable, a credit to the actors involved, and director Paul Brotherton. Matthew Seager captures every subtle detail of Arthur’s spiralling decline to perfection. You’ll want to rush out and hug Jane, so convincing is Celeste Dodwell’s harrowing performance.
This is an incredibly well structured work. Seager’s research into the condition and his facilitation of sensory workshops in a dementia care home (which showed him how music can build links to reality), have enabled him to make this a terrifyingly accurate picture of an illness affecting so many.
Apple.
Labrador.
Grass.
This is one impressive play you will never forget.
