“you can see why director Erika Eva’s work has been compared to that of Complicité and DV8“
On Mother’s Day, written by Saaramaria Kuittinen and directed by Erika Eva, tells the story of an unnamed protagonist (played by Christian Scicluna) who is on death row awaiting his sentence. Scicluna’s character is trying to make his mother a Mother’s Day card and he wants to cover it in drawings of flowers (a recurring motif/symbol in the play) but he doesn’t have any colouring pencils. He addresses the audience throughout and tells us not only what life is like inside the four walls of his cell, but also how he got there. The story moves backwards and forwards throughout time from his abusive childhood, to life with his wife and baby, and then back to the present.
While Scicluna is the only actor with significant lines there are two other performers: Lukas Bozik, who plays a number of characters including the protagonist’s abusive father as well as his violent brother, and Silvia Manazzone, who plays his mother and his wife. Bozik and Manazzone’s roles are mostly physical and they play these parts beautifully. The movements feel organic and not too choreographed, but still tight and well-executed. In these moments you can see why director Erika Eva’s work has been compared to that of Complicité and DV8. Her direction, in particular the use of the second level of the Cockpit, works well. Bozik and Manazzone stalk along the upstairs level which creates a sense of being in a prison and being watched from all sides. Again, having the piece in the round also works well to amplify the feeling of claustrophobia and being enclosed within a cell.
The set, lighting and sound are also well-done. The set is simple: white tape on the ground in the centre of the stage represents the small cell which the prisoner is kept in all day and night. There is a metal bed frame on wheels which is used as a bed, but also to represent the bars of the prison and in a number of other imaginative ways. Another creative element is the use of torches throughout the show which again, reminds one of the prison setting but also creates some visually arresting shadows and projections on the walls of the theatre. Xavier Velastin’s sound design is instrumental and minimalistic. It is atmospheric without being intrusive.
Scicluna does well to carry the piece considering he is the only character with lines. However, there is something lacking either in the script, which was cliched in some parts, or in his performance, which prevented me from becoming emotionally involved. With such dark and emotional subject matter I was surprised that the story did not move me. It is unclear how we are supposed to feel about the lead, a man who clearly had a traumatic childhood and yet committed a crime awful enough to be on death row. The nuances of this character and his situation could be better explored.
Overall, On Mother’s Day is a well-designed show with good performances but it lacks the emotional depth and connection needed for a play about such a serious topic.
“a hugely complex work with multi-layered lessons and warnings”
Sondheim and Lapine’s Tony Award winning musical, ‘Into the Woods’, is transported imaginatively to the 21st century by Tim McArthur in a slick and entertaining production. It illustrates the timelessness of fairy tales, the messages they convey and, more importantly, the ones they don’t. ‘Cinderella’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘Jack and the Bean Stalk’ and ‘Rapunzel’ are woven together by the plight of a baker and his wife who must undo a spell of infertility cast on them by a wicked witch. In Act One we enjoy the familiar stories as they all wish for their dreams and enter the woods – the big, brutal world – in pursuit of them. Their quests successful and desires fulfilled, they can live happily ever after. Or can they? Act Two unravels these aspirations, the consequences of how they are achieved, followed by disillusionment, responsibility, revenge, loss … and, ultimately, the many realisations of adulthood, including the underlying fascination for what lies in the woods.
The array of contemporary, larger-than-life roles fits effortlessly together. Some, however, find a more rounded definition than others: Jamie O’Donnell steals the show with his beautifully detailed interpretation of Jack, giving him depth and pathos, and his mother (Madeleine MacMahon) draws a wonderful picture of his background with her strong personality. Michele Moran, as the witch, arouses both fear and sympathy and Cinderella (Abigail Carter-Simpson) and Red Riding Hood (Florence Odumosu) depict a more human and questioning side to their personalities from the beginning. As the narrator, Jordan Michael Todd skilfully creates his own charismatic persona, embedding himself surreptitiously into the action while drawing us in as the storyteller.
The ensemble singing is tightly coordinated and well-balanced but the individual voices are less consistent. Both Jo Wickham and Tim McArthur show their professional musical theatre experience and there are many strong newcomers, but a few are, on occasions, overshadowed by the band. Aaron Clingham (Musical Director) and his musicians provide the perfect accompaniment to the performance.
Staged in the round, we are wrapped up in the comings and goings of the play, with wood chippings underfoot. Joana Dias’ set design of assorted ladders gives the feeling of a play for adults, offset by the rudimentary props. The lighting (Vittorio Verta) ably fashions the dappled sunlight and shadows in the woods as well as the fairy-tale special effects.
‘Into the Woods’ is a hugely complex work with multi-layered lessons and warnings. The overriding theme appears as “Be careful what you wish for” but there is also a powerful point made to parents: “Be careful what you say, children may listen”. Mothers and fathers figure prominently, accepting or otherwise the repercussions of their parenting. It broaches the subjects of blame and greed, reinforces the supportive nature of survival and addresses our natural sense of adventure – do we want to live happily ever after or do we want to live life? Tim McArthur’s astute direction brings out these ideas and makes them relevant.
