Tag Archives: Eilene Davidson

The Girl Who Fell

The Girl Who Fell

★★★★

Trafalgar Studios

The Girl Who Fell

The Girl Who Fell

Trafalgar Studios

Reviewed – 17th October 2019

★★★★

 

“a warm piece of theatre brimming over with emotional honesty”

 

Set in the aftermath of a tragic suicide, The Girl Who Fell is play about those left behind. Sam – a never-to-be sixteen year old – is the missing piece the story revolves around as it follows her family and friends grappling with loss and their own burden of guilt. This is a production where the walls come down – both literally and metaphorically. As the rustic, stripped-down set (Georgia de Grey) peels away block by block, so do the barriers the characters have put up to defend themselves, making for a warm piece of theatre brimming over with emotional honesty.

Each character has their own cross to bear with respect to Sam’s death. Claire Goose plays an instantly recognisable fraught mother battling for control, who is blamed by others for the suicide due to her harsh punishment becoming broadcast on the internet. Her superb performance is complimented by those of Rosie Day and Will Fletcher, who fill the roles of Sam’s best friend Billie and boyfriend Lenny so well that by the end of the play you have forgotten that the actors are not really teenagers. From the outset it is clear that these three have relationships with complex undercurrents, and throughout their stories they walk a messy, angry line between looking after each other and tearing each other down.

Introduced initially as a romantic interest for mum Thea, Gil (Navin Chowdhry) is the character last to the stage, and the slowest to unravel, but it is satisfying to see that he too is connected to the death in more ways than one. The script (Sarah Rutherford) times its key reveals and hooks well but is also full of refreshing doses of humour. Paired with Hannah Price’s direction, which brings a wonderful amount of movement and energy to a play about death, and the lighting (Robbie Butler) and sound (Adrienne Quartly), it delivers a tender and touching exploration of grief, blame, and the worst impulses in human nature.

Addressing such broad themes, the play almost seems timeless and that is perhaps its only failure. For all that Sam’s death can be seen as intrinsically linked to her life as part of the social media generation, the unique ways modern life can impact on being a teenager – and being a parent – seem to be largely glossed over in favour of an appeal to universalism. But, nevertheless, there is certainly lots of substance for viewers to contemplate. With its well-woven character backstories and sincere musings on faith, family, and forgiveness, The Girl Who is Fell is a rich treat of a story with wide-ranging appeal.

 

Reviewed by Vicky Richards

Photography by Helen Maybanks

 


The Girl Who Fell

Trafalgar Studios until 23rd November

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:
Soul Sessions | ★★★★ | February 2019
A Hundred Words For Snow | ★★★★★ | March 2019
Admissions | ★★★ | March 2019
Scary Bikers | ★★★★ | April 2019
Vincent River | ★★★★ | May 2019
Dark Sublime | ★★★ | June 2019
Equus | ★★★★★ | July 2019
Actually | ★★★★ | August 2019
The Fishermen | ★★★½ | September 2019
A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg | ★★ | October 2019

 

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Late Company

Late Company

 

As part of the Finborough Theatre’s celebrations of Canada’s 150th birthday, Canadian playwright Jordan Tannahill, “the hottest name in Canadian theatre”, will debut his play, Late Company, at the Finborough Theatre, for a strictly limited season from 25 April – 20 May 2017, with press nights on 27 April/28 April.

One year after a terrible tragedy; 2 sets of parents, one dead son, one living son. Who is to blame?

A suburban dinner party for closure after 17 year-old Joel commits suicide. The guests; his heartbroken mother and father, his so-called tormentor Curtis, and his parents.

Far from finding the peace they seek, the dinner strips bare their good intentions to reveal layers of parental, sexual, and political hypocrisy.

Written with sensitivity and humour, Late Company explores restorative justice, cyber bullying, and the ever-changing complexities of parenthood in the 21st century.

The full cast for Late Company are: Todd Boyce (Michael), David Leopold (Curtis), Alex Lowe (Bill), Lucy Robinson (Debora) and Lisa Stevenson (Tamara).

Jordan Tannahill (writer) is a Canadian playwright and filmmaker and has been described as “the future of Canadian theatre” by NOW Magazine. His work has been presented in theatres, festivals, and galleries across Canada and internationally.

Jordan’s plays have been honoured with various prizes including the 2014 Governor Generals Award for Drama for his book Age of Minority: Three Solo Plays, the 2014 John Hirsch Prize for directing, and Dora Awards for ‘Outstanding New Play’ for rihannaboi95 in 2013 and Concord Floral in 2015. Concord Floral also received the 2015 Carol Bolt Award and was shortlisted for the 2016 Governor General’s Award for Drama. In 2016 Botticelli in the Fire & Sunday in Sodom won the Toronto Theatre Critics Award for ‘Best New Play’ and it’s production at Canadian Stage received the Dora Award for ‘Outstanding Production’.

Jordan is currently working on new projects with the National Theatre (UK), the National Film Board of Canada, and the Stratford Festival.


presents

LATE COMPANY

 

25 APRIL – 20 MAY 2017

Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm &

Saturday – Sunday at 3.00pm

 

118 Finborough Road, London, SW10 9ED

0844 847 1652

www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

 

Prices until 7 May – Tickets £16, £14 concessions, except Tuesday evenings £14 all seats, and Friday and Saturday evenings £16 all seats.

Previews (25 and 26 April) £12 all seats.

£10 tickets for Under 30’s for performances from Tuesday to Sunday of the first week when booked online only.

£12 tickets for residents of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on Saturday, 29 April 2017 when booked online only.

Prices from 9 May – Tickets £18, £16 concessions, except Tuesday evenings £16 all seats, and Friday and Saturday evenings £18 all seats.

 

 

 

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