Approaching a topic such as grief after the loss of a baby and multiple miscarriages is a difficult and triggering subject to write about and put on stage. As director Peter Taylor likes to tackle difficult and ambitious subjects this is a piece I would expect from him. For as a young writer/director he certainly pushes himself and this play is no exception.
As the couple played by Howard Horner and Lindsay Cross grieve the loss of their long-awaited baby. Neither can find comfort in one another and bounce off one another verbally each time they meet after she moves out of their home and retreats to her families owned place by the sea to try and come to terms with her loss.
The “bittersweet escapism from their mourning” manifests into storytelling, some of the stories are surreal in places and can be unnecessary. I understand their importance from the character’s perspective. However, they lose the dramatic effect with the quantity that has been packed into the play.
In one scene when the couple is writhing on the floor fighting an imaginary monster. It felt as if the play descended into a student practice production piece as appose to a professional off west end theatre production.
The role played by Cross as a grieving Mother did not altogether come over that convincingly. There felt to be something missing through her performance. Grief is an extremely personal experience and there are no rules on how someone should behave while going through the process. However, with the right actor, you can feel every emotion with them and for me, that part was missing.
Upon reading the press release and knowing how talented the director, Taylor is. I was expecting something very good but sadly this isn’t one of his best pieces on the stage. With some redrafting and some careful editing, this has great potential to be a very powerful play.
Three Stars.
Cast
Lindsay Cross
Howard Horner.
Technician- Rose Hockaday
Assistant Director-Tess Angus
Company Manager- Caroline Arundel
Written and Directed by Peter Taylor.
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@T_P_Theatre
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Photo credit Charlie Arundel
Playing from 28th May-1st June 2019.
At Lion and Unicorn Pub Theatre
42-44 Gaisford Street
Kentish Town
London
NW5 2ED.
@LandUTheatre
http://www.thelionandunicorntheatre.com
The production is supporting the following charity. Please check it out through the link below.
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