“Their stories creatively flow in and out of each other, hinting at connections”
With the current refugee crisis having all but disappeared from mainstream media in recent months, this play is a timely reminder that emigration and people fleeing wretched situations is not a new phenomena. It also highlights how those refugees are treated by those they meet, both kindly and less so, and how this is not a new comparison.
Waterloo East Theatre is a central London quirky fringe theatre where you can hear the overground trains in the rafters. This adds to the portrayal of these believable stories about refugees and the theme of ‘in transit’ which the play focuses on.
Matilda Velevitch’s Three Mothers feels like three one woman plays combined on stage to great success. Their stories creatively flow in and out of each other, hinting at connections during the narrative, yet without giving the game away. All whilst maintaining audience curiosity as to how these stories, from such different walks of life, will eventually intertwine.
Strong characterisation from all three actresses (Clare Perkins, Roberta Kerr, Victoria Brazier) provides a stable platform for this play spanning continents, decades and generations. Clare Perkins particularly stood out for me at maintaining a strong stage presence throughout, and I found my eyes drawn to her in quieter moments elsewhere.
The acting was strong enough to not need the unseen characters be represented by unnecessary voiceovers. Contrasting and simple set design (Jane Linz Roberts) helped not overcrowd this small stage, and allowed the actors and their stories to be the focus. A couple of moments of less technically fluid light and sound changes needed a bit of touching up but can be forgiven for a first night.
‘Hope is not a strategy’ is echoed throughout this affecting play, and I questioned this motivational phrase. What do people do when at the desperate end of making decisions? These Three Mothers demonstrated how they turned misfortune and hope in to life and thankfulness.
It is a shame this show wasn’t sold out as it is well worth the fringe theatre priced ticket, and more.
“the show lacked any substance or focus and ended as simply a diatribe on the state on the world”
Lacking focus, no clear narrative, and generally messy and muddled. This was the feeling I was left with after seeing Craft Theatre’s production of A Nazi Comparison at Waterloo East Theatre.
The concept behind they play is an interesting one and attempts to draw worrying parallels between Nazi Germany and contemporary Britain and the US. The central character, Clare, performed by Louise Goodfield, portrays a young, middle class woman turned left-wing activist who should antagonise the feminists among us. Her obviously deeply felt feelings for the state of the world build to melodrama and hysteria and she lost any admiration which we might have felt. Her speech supposedly given at UCL as part of her degree course was too long, and a political diatribe which was an attempt to reprimand the audience. However, it went down like a lead balloon and the attempt to be didactic was a failure.
There was no set as such, and the choice of props left something to be desired. The use of curtains was clumsy, the cardboard fireplace at Clare’s father’s house unnecessary and the symbolism implied by the teapot and coffee lost significance. Costume was sloppy and with a little added expense and much more thought could have been better. In an attempt to copy Katie Mitchell’s Cleansed at the National Theatre, black tights covered the faces of chorus type characters creating anonymity. The effect was diluted because faces were visible and the purpose therefore questionable.
The elements of physical theatre, again lacked commitment and seemed unnecessary. This applied especially to the scene on the tube and, frankly, the ‘rollypolly-ing’ transitions into each scene were awful.
Goodfield and Thomas Thoroe who played Clare’s father produced tolerable performances and ultimately carried the show. The production lacked humour and wit. The play culminated in a failed suicide attempt and the song ‘Over the Rainbow’ – too clichéd for words.
Overall, the show lacked any substance or focus and ended as simply a diatribe on the state on the world. As Carol Anne Duffy says in her poem War Photographer, “Our eyeballs prick” at the state of the world but hysteria goes no way to solving any problems. What was the message? Simply that things are bad on a personal and universal level? Whatever sympathy we may have for these contemporary issues, is not enhanced by this show.
Reviewed by Holly Barnard
A NAZI COMPARISON
is at The Waterloo East Theatre until 29th October
