Exodus

Finborough Theatre

Reviewed – 5th November 2018

★★★★

“explores themes such as austerity, immigration, suicide and depression in a sensitive, thought-provoking way”

Set in South Wales on the eve of the demolition of the last factory in town, Exodus follows four friends as they build a plane in order to escape their town in search of a better life. Although, for the most part, a humorous play, Exodus explores themes such as austerity, immigration, suicide and depression in a sensitive, thought-provoking way.

Characters include Mary (Gwenllian Higginson), Ray (Liam Tobin), Gareth (Berwyn Pearce) and Timmy (Karim Bedda). Tobin and Pearce provide the majority of the comedy in the show, as Ray and Gareth, bouncing off each other well. They can have a tendency to be slightly overpowering and loud in the small theatre space, but it can’t be denied that both actors bring high levels of enthusiasm to their roles. Bedda portrays Timmy, a refugee who never speaks, but is a talented violinist, showing this by frequently performing live throughout the play. Whilst the other three characters are able to express themselves through speech, Bedda effectively performs through the playing of his instrument, which acts as his character’s voice and story.

Running alongside the plot of the building of the plane and preparations for the flight is Mary’s individual story, depicting town life and the struggles faced. Higginson does a fantastic job of engaging the audience throughout and is able to display a range of emotions extremely well. The transitions between the scenes with all four actors to Higginson’s monologues are seamless, with the remaining actors sitting down in sync and staring ahead, motionless. This adds to our engagement with what the character of Mary goes on to say and allows our focus to be solely on her.

Movement, directed by Emma Vickery, is brilliantly executed. A particular highlight is a sequence in which the group undertake “training” to deal with the possibility of thunderstorms during their flight, where lighting design by Katy Morison, as well as the violin music, enhances the scene further.

Exodus is, on the surface, a comedy. However, in reality, it’s much more than that. Universal themes are explored and, although set in Wales, this is a play that could be set pretty much anywhere in the UK. The cast and creative team, well led by writer and director Rachael Boulton, must be congratulated for the effort that has clearly gone into a production that’s both entertaining and moving.

Reviewed by Emily K Neal

Photography by Tom Flannery

Exodus

Finborough Theatre until 20th November

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Imaginationship | ★★ | January 2018

Into the Numbers | ★★★★ | January 2018

Booby’s Bay | ★★★★ | February 2018

Cyril’s Success | ★★★ | February 2018

Checkpoint Chana | ★★★★ | March 2018

Returning to Haifa | ★★★★ | March 2018

White Guy on the Bus | ★★★★ | March 2018

Masterpieces | ★★ | April 2018

The Biograph Girl | ★★★ | May 2018

Finishing the Picture | ★★★★ | June 2018

But it Still Goes on | ★★★★ | July 2018

Homos, or Everyone in America | ★★★★ | August 2018

A Winning Hazard | ★★★★ | September 2018

Square Rounds | ★★★ | September 2018

A Funny Thing Happened … | ★★★★ | October 2018

Bury the Dead | ★★★★ | November 2018

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★★★½

“The musical element of the production is excellent and really complements the movement and dialogue performed”

One grandfather, one granddaughter, originally from Tel Aviv. The grandfather is suffering from Alzheimer’s and can’t seem to remember where home is, whereas the granddaughter’s UK visa is near expiration, meaning she is uncertain of where to call home. Althea Theatre’s Jericho’s Rose explores what happens when two generations struggle to work out where they belong in the world.

When the audience first enters the small performance space, Lilac Yosiphon (performer, as well as writer and co-director) is already on stage. She is walking around the space with a suitcase and passport, as if confused and unsure of her destination. We are immediately engaged and curious as to how her story is going to unfold.

Yosiphon takes on the role of the granddaughter, Jasmine, and grandfather, switching between the two quite seamlessly, with the aid of musical cues and voice recordings of the opposite role. Music is composed and performed by Sam Elwin, who is based at the side of the stage and makes use of loop-pedalled sound. The musical element of the production is excellent and really complements the movement and dialogue performed. As Elwin himself notes, most of the music was composed during rehearsals, allowing him to respond to moments as they occurred, as well as contribute to the generation of new moments.

In terms of movement, Yosiphon never merely walks around the performance space. Her abstract, physical theatre style movements work well and add to the clear sense of bewilderment experienced by both granddaughter and grandfather. Lighting Design and Projection by Will Monks, further adds to this and we, as audience members, can really feel as though we are stepping into the minds of these troubled individuals.

Jericho’s Rose is a fast-paced piece of theatre. Fragmented by nature, you may need to hold concentration more than you would during a more straightforward production, to fully keep track of what is going on and stay engaged. The piece could also most likely be condensed down, whilst still delivering what it has set out to deliver. However, if you want to see something abstract, surprising and delivered by talented performers, you should see Jericho’s Rose.

Reviewed by Emily K Neal

Photography by Lidia Crisafulli

Finborough Theatre

Reviewed – 5th November 2018

★★★★

“explores themes such as austerity, immigration, suicide and depression in a sensitive, thought-provoking way”

Reviewed by Emily K Neal

Photography by Tom Flannery

Exodus

Finborough Theatre until 20th November

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Jericho’s Rose

Hope Theatre

Reviewed – 18th October 2018

★★★½

“The musical element of the production is excellent and really complements the movement and dialogue performed”

Reviewed by Emily K Neal

Photography by Lidia Crisafulli

Jericho’s Rose

Hope Theatre until 3rd November

Previously reviewed at this venue: