MADWOMEN OF THE WEST at the Riverside Studios

★★

“Like the piñata that hangs above the stage throughout but is never used, the full force of the show never strikes its target”

I feel sorry for the Uber driver. Midway through Sandra Tsing Loh’s American import comedy “Madwomen of the West”, Claudia (Melanie Mayron) wants out. “No, not Highgate” she drawls into her phone. “Where are we?” she asks the audience. “Hammersmith”. But when the driver is three minutes away, she decides to stay, but fails to cancel the ride. The conversation – and the driver – are instantly forgotten. Claudia is at her friend’s house, in her pyjamas for some reason. Her friend is Jules (Brooke Adams) who initially conceals her torment and vodka in a water bottle. Also present is Marilyn (Caroline Aaron), busily putting up and taking down invisible party decorations. Latecomer Zoey (Marilu Henner) breezes into view like Catwoman, crashing the stage with the promise of ruffling feathers that are already dishevelled.

There is plenty of blurring of the lines in this play, which at times doesn’t feel like a play at all. There is no fourth wall, but when we are spoken to (or at) we are never sure whether it is the character or the actress. Presumably when the show initially ran in Los Angeles and New York last year, the audiences would have a better grasp, but from this side of the pond it is hard to tell.

The four performers have got together to put on a show about four women of a certain age who have got together for a surprise birthday party. They have known each other since their college days, which definitely shows in the camaraderie and the rivalry. The performances are wonderfully natural, but just as we are relaxing into their plush sofas and reminiscences, we are jolted out again by abrupt theatrical devices. The joke wears thin as the (fictitious) lack of budget, set, props and tech crew are repeatedly referred to. Where it fares best is the tweaking of the script for the English audience, acknowledging and respecting the differences in the humour while simultaneously making fun of us.

It not only makes fun of our culture, but also their own, and the fact that they cannot keep up. They don’t even want to keep up and these strong, successful women have earned the right not to try. The writing is sometimes unashamed as they tackle the topics of today. ‘Trans… it’s the new bulimia…’ The conversation and the drink flow freely as the women grapple with their own issues as well as the world’s. Divorce and disappointment, menopause and marriage, career and child-rearing, expectations and sexploitation. Many points raised are tried and tested but a few jump out like refreshing splashes of political incorrectness. Little seems to be out of bounds. Director Racky Plews must have had her work cut out, yet she has maintained a tight hold on proceedings while still making it look as though the performers are calling all the shots.

Some monologues, while informative and sympathy grabbing, linger too long and some clashing viewpoints seem contrived. But the chemistry between these performers is reassuring. We sometimes feel we are watching an Americanised episode of ‘Loose Women’ until we realise that, if we were, we wouldn’t even make it to the first commercial break before our ‘cancel culture’ would have everyone fired.

Yet for all the promise of acidity and caustic comedy, “Madwomen of the West” treads tentatively, unsure of the response, which kind of misses the point. If it appeared to care less, we would probably care more. Like the piñata that hangs above the stage throughout but is never used, the full force of the show never strikes its target. So the real treats – the reward for persevering – are never released. Instead we are guided to a rather sugary ‘let’s-be-friends’ finale. I wonder if the Uber is still waiting outside.

MADWOMEN OF THE WEST at the Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 5th August 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Ryan Howard

Previously reviewed at this venue:

MOFFIE | ★★★ | June 2024

KING LEAR | ★★★★ | May 2024

THIS IS MEMORIAL DEVICE | ★★★★ | April 2024

ARTIFICIALLY YOURS | ★★★ | April 2024

ALAN TURING – A MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY | ★★ | January 2024

ULSTER AMERICAN | ★★★★★ | December 2023

OTHELLO | ★★★★ | October 2023

FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS | ★★★★ | October 2023

RUN TO THE NUNS – THE MUSICAL | ★★★★ | July 2023

THE SUN WILL RISE | ★★★ | July 2023

TARANTINO LIVE: FOX FORCE FIVE & THE TYRANNY OF EVIL MEN | ★★★★★ | June 2023

KILLING THE CAT | ★★ | March 2023

MADWOMEN OF THE WEST

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★★★

“a lengthy monologue telling an intriguing and moving story”

“Moffie” is a one-man play about a closeted conscript in the South African Defence Force during apartheid. The title is a homophobic slur, referencing the toxic masculinity of the time and brutal treatment of gay soldiers, who were routinely sent to psychiatric facilities where they faced castration, electro-shock therapy and often went missing. The story flashes back and forth from soldier Nicholas van der Swart’s time in the army to memories of his childhood. Reminiscent of Full Metal Jacket, Moffie also veers into tone deafness surrounding apartheid.

Based on the novel by André Carl van der Merwe, and adapted by Philip Rademeyer, the focus of the story remains on the plight of Nicholas. Whilst illuminating to the lived experience of conscripts, one must question the aspect ratio of the piece. Is the experience of being gay, white, and middle class as oppressive as being a black civilian? I would say no. The play does not assert this idea either, however there is only one named black character who is called “Sophie” and was a nanny of the narrator and descriptions of life in apartheid remain fleeting and auxiliary to the central story. The main themes about masculinity and sexuality are compelling and impassioned, but feel oddly balanced given the severity of events taking place outside of the character’s personal crisis. Secondly, Nicholas was not just any conscript. He was sent to “Koevoet” who were notorious for committing numerous atrocities and war crimes. The play does not emphasise the significance of this particular unit. This puts the play in a very strange territory as Nicholas cries about unrequited love and bullying from his officers (which I’m sure was awful) whilst being part of a group that was held responsible under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for committing massacres. Whilst Nicholas does say he doesn’t agree with the government, the play is more concerned with his relationship with his abusive father and the treatment of young men in the army. As a comparison, would an audience be expected to feel sympathy for a gay member of the Einzatzgruppen who had a mean dad?

The story is a fascinating insight into a history often ignored. Nicholas talks the audience through the events of his life clambering over a pile of army hold-all bags (Niall Griffin). Kai Luke Brümmer portrays Nicholas as a sensitive young man thrust into an environment of intimidation and self-loathing, delivering a powerful performance, though with some lines being fluffed and delivered too quickly to register the meaning of the phrase. Conversely, the multitude of domineering cruel men are evoked with a deep thick Afrikaans accent, dripping in menace. Supporting the action are the industrious creaks and groans of helicopters and the hum of the Angola jungle, the sound design is both haunting and striking, evoking setting and emotions with originality and artistic skill (Charl-Johan Lingenfelder). Directed by Greg Karvellas, Brümmer flows over the lines quickly, rarely stopping to pause as he adjusts himself around the central set piece, using minimal blocking, relying more on emotional delivery and characterisation.

Moffie is a lengthy monologue telling an intriguing and moving story, however, given the circumstances and ‘background’, there is a hollowness to its core themes. What would a play about a victim of the Koevoet be about and would those stories get such brilliant production resources and attention? Moffie raises questions about the nature of intersectional oppression, but not in the way it intended. The bio of the show arguable says it all “set against the backdrop of apartheid”. Can apartheid really be a ‘backdrop’ when the subject matter of the south African army?

MADWOMEN OF THE WEST at the Riverside Studios

★★

“Like the piñata that hangs above the stage throughout but is never used, the full force of the show never strikes its target”

MADWOMEN OF THE WEST at the Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 5th August 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Ryan Howard

Previously reviewed at this venue:

MADWOMEN OF THE WEST

MADWOMEN OF THE WEST

MOFFIE at Riverside Studios

★★★

“a lengthy monologue telling an intriguing and moving story”

MOFFIE at Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 7th June 2024

by Jessica Potts

Photography by Daniel Rutland Manners

Previously reviewed at this venue:

MOFFIE

MOFFIE