Etcetera Theatre Archives - Page 3 of 22

Chasing Ghosts

Etcetera Theatre

Reviewed – 9th October 2019

★★★½

“a strong piece of writing from Robert Bingham”

Hot on the heels of ‘Bipolar Me’, Etcetera Theatre have put on another play focussing on mental health, this being a new piece of writing performed by new company JB Theatre.

Seemingly normal chap Simon, lashes out at a female friend of his, breaking her jaw. He ends up in a police cell and despite being discharged, refuses to leave. An unconventional priest comes in to counsel Simon, help him confront his demons and try to get to the bottom of why he is continually being confronted by ghostly figures.

A fairly basic set consisting of a table, two chairs and a couple of stools did the job, lighting was fine with occasional nice little flourishes and music was well chosen. I did feel that each music cue was sliced off, a gentle fade would have been so much easier on the ear.

The play starts with priest Cade (Robert Bingham) reading aloud a devastating diagnosis that he had received from the hospital. This scene stayed with me throughout and as he used a series of bizarre tactics to counsel Simon, you wondered just what demons he was facing himself. Simon (Ben Felton) gives a very strong performance. He is wholly invested in his character, although never specified, he is clearly dealing with PTSD and the stillness and strength of his voice somehow makes his vulnerability particularly heart-breaking. An early scene when he attempts to escape his demons through dance, is particularly effective. Cade is a fascinating character, certainly not like any priest I’ve ever seen. The actor clearly has fun with him, there are some nice moments of humour and although he is possibly slightly overplayed, that opening scene keeps coming back to validate his behaviour. Callie (Katherine Lea) completes the cast, underwritten a little in my opinion, her downstage reading of a letter she had written to Simon is beautifully performed. I did however have an issue with her ripped jeans. In fashion, sure, but whenever the actress doubled as one of the demons, despite the fact that her face was hidden, you saw the ripped jeans and just thought, ‘that’s Cally!’ A simple pair of black trousers would have helped the illusion. A nice little hinted at love story between Simon and Cally, I hope her boyfriend Dan is given the boot.

It becomes apparent that personal tragedy from Simon’s early family life is haunting him, now the earlier mentioned health issue is haunting Cade. When Simon asks Cade “Will I will ever see you again?” and Cade waits a beat and answers “It’s unlikely”, it cut through me like a knife.

This is a strong piece of writing from Robert Bingham, the closing scene with a brilliant light fade, is really impactful. Thought provoking stuff with an interesting twist, I left the theatre wondering who had been counselling whom. I hope that JB Theatre go from strength to strength, they have a play here ideal for the festival circuit.

We all have our own personal demons, as I headed for the Northern line, I couldn’t help looking over my shoulder to see if there was a cloaked figure following me.

Reviewed by Chris White

Chasing Ghosts

Etcetera Theatre until 12th October

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Past Perfect | ★★★★ | July 2019

Before I Am Lost | ★★ | August 2019

The Parentheticals: Improdyssey | ★★★★ | August 2019

Women On The Edge | ★★★ | August 2019

Bipolar Me | ★★★ | October 2019

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★★★

“it needs to evolve from simply shining the light, into interrogating and addressing the motives behind doing so”

Bipolar Me, written by Ceri Ashe and co-directed with Liam Reilly, showcases main character Katie’s journey to discover and come to terms with her diagnosis of Type 2 Bipolar, symptomatic of cycles of severe depression and hypomania. There is plenty in Bipolar Me that those struggling with mental health issues, not even just Type 2 Bipolar, can relate to. The waiting times for appointments, for example, as even with a good doctor who takes Katie’s issues seriously it still takes a year to be seen by a specialist. And between the personal lens of Katie’s story and the specialist’s medically accurate – if somewhat creatively uninspired – explanations of Type 2 Bipolar, we get an in-depth breakdown of the condition.

Ashe’s performance is a standout. From a frantic interrogation of the audience in Katie’s hypomanic state to days in bed during depressive episodes, she takes them convincingly through the highs and lows of someone struggling with the condition. The set design strengthens this portrayal, as all the action is either based in or performed from Katie’s bedroom and shows the lonely, claustrophobic nature of mental health.

Unfortunately the play fails to explore the more complex questions it raises. The main dilemma for Katie, whether to go on the recommended drugs for her condition, is thoroughly debated. She wonders whether her Bipolar defines who she is, whether the hypomanic highs aid her creativity and success in songwriting. The opportunity to interrogate these ideas is lost, as the play ends the moment she makes her decision.

Other characters in the piece also feel flat and superficial compared to Katie herself. The core relationship in the piece, between Katie and her boyfriend Mark (Matthew Betteridge), ends with an expositional line from a secondary character. Although set up as one of the key plot points of the piece, the reasons for the break up are never spoken of in detail. Beyond Mark being from Essex and, for a while at least, in love with Katie, we know very little at all about him. Then there is Gabe (Andrew Armitage), Katie’s gay best friend, who serves up about all the stereotypes you’d expect with no character development whatsoever.

By placing a little-talked about issue centre stage, Bipolar Me is definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to mental health issues being raised in theatre, but it falls short of the potential it sets up for itself. Self described as a play that “shines a light on a still much stigmatised subject,” it needs to evolve from simply shining the light, into interrogating and addressing the motives behind doing so.

Reviewed by Katy Owen

Photography by Hannah Sorrell

Etcetera Theatre

Reviewed – 9th October 2019

★★★½

“a strong piece of writing from Robert Bingham”

Hot on the heels of ‘Bipolar Me’, Etcetera Theatre have put on another play focussing on mental health, this being a new piece of writing performed by new company JB Theatre.

A fairly basic set consisting of a table, two chairs and a couple of stools did the job, lighting was fine with occasional nice little flourishes and music was well chosen. I did feel that each music cue was sliced off, a gentle fade would have been so much easier on the ear.

It becomes apparent that personal tragedy from Simon’s early family life is haunting him, now the earlier mentioned health issue is haunting Cade. When Simon asks Cade “Will I will ever see you again?” and Cade waits a beat and answers “It’s unlikely”, it cut through me like a knife.

We all have our own personal demons, as I headed for the Northern line, I couldn’t help looking over my shoulder to see if there was a cloaked figure following me.

Reviewed by Chris White

Chasing Ghosts

Etcetera Theatre until 12th October

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Etcetera Theatre

Reviewed – 2nd October 2019

★★★

“it needs to evolve from simply shining the light, into interrogating and addressing the motives behind doing so”

Reviewed by Katy Owen

Photography by Hannah Sorrell

Bipolar Me

Etcetera Theatre until 6th October

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: