Sunday 10th May 2009

Not entirely sure what form this blog is supposed to take... whether I’m supposed to have been following the text and noting errors (I didn’t)... or reviewing the performance as an overall experience (I’m not – seems very difficult to be objective in a holistic sort of way after having seen it several times)... instead, what follows is a series of rather disjointed notes on things I found to be note worthy at the time.

The show is about to begin. Actors are tensely milling about in the lovely pleasance space. A random collection of props from the mountview showcase scatter the stage. It’s pretty much a full house. Alex does his intro thing. Explains that we don’t know the lines. The audience is amused.

The following cast assemble:

The Bailiff – Scott
The actress – Fed
The Writer –Jethro
The Brother – Colin
The Doctor – Simon
The Teacher – Max
The Bailiff’s Wife – Maddie
The Bailiff’s daughter – Elena
The Girl – Katie
The Son –Tim
The Servant –Steve
The Maid –Amanda/Katie

The cast scramble to grab their respective props and the action beings – Max and Elena entering from the back of the audience. Max questions Elena on her choice of garments (grey jumper)... Elena asks him if he’d prefer her to don a multicoloured poncho. Tim and Colin enter very swiftly here – whilst Elena and max are still arguing on stage.. the multiple focus points work well here from where I’m sitting... although an elderly member of the audience disagrees... shouting that she cannot hear a word. Colin is unphased and, armed with a walking stick, marches up to the lady in question, threatening to carry her down into the front row of the audience... a fuss ensues and the lady declines his generous offer. The action continues... at full volume... Colin being especially vibrant.

Tim utilises a series of doors that line the back of the stage as a successful ‘she loves me, she loves me not’ allegory. Quite a few ultra modern references appear in tim’s rant about his mother – heat magazine, nightclubs at 3am... this seems to firmly secure the action in the current ‘celebrity-culture’ present more so than I had seen in previous shows. Katie arrives out of breathe and Colin departs singing ‘puppy love’... Tim professes his love and Katie ‘Oh.... Shhhhhh’-‘s him. Steve returns from his swim. The audience is amused.

The seamless entrances and exits seem to work particularly well in this space – enter Simon and Maddie... Simon’s doctor is sincere and dominating. Everyone enters and is shooed into the auditorium. Tim uses music for his play (this was queried in the pub later – pre-set use of sound effects?). Fed begins some raucous cackling and the whole thing descends quickly into chaos. (Steve noted in the pub that we might be at risk of allowing the son’s play to deteriorate into ‘whacky shit’... the son is intelligent... it seems that we are wrestling with the fine line between presenting an avant-garde exploration of new forms, and something that lacks art and is overtly conscious of its own novelty weirdness.). Tim calls off the play and the gathering ambles out of the auditorium onto the stage... Sarah sings ce sera off stage. Fed reminisces over Simon’s “unchecked procreation” in their key-swapping swingers parties of the past. The audience enjoy this. Jethro and Katie’s bashful and awkward introduction is quietly beautiful.

Everyone exits, save Simon who stands centre stage – sincere and focused as he addresses the audience regarding Tim’s play (bringing again into question the danger losing something of value amidst the ‘whacky shit’). Tim interrupts – and then follows a prolonged man-hug, much to the audiences’ amusement. Very interesting to watch. Elena enters. Tim’s rejection of her is unpleasant and cruel. Elena’s confession of love is honest and moving. She shouts ‘ I can’t breathe any more’ over and over and collapses, sobbing onto Simon’s shoulder. Affecting and horribly powerful.

Act Two
Fed’s oblivious ‘youth’ comparison is almost unbearable to watch following the exchange at the end of the previous act. As audience we begin to detest the actress for her shallow self-involvement in telling Elena to buy a shirt. This is, I’m sure, how it should be.(Should be?) Katie’s entrance adds tension to an already unpleasant scene. Increasing levels of discontent and building restlessness all round, instead of the languid time-warp that it sometimes seems to me. Simon moves around the space, somehow managing to patronise Colin and Fed. Fed screeches ‘I HATE KENT’ as Simon sings ‘Everybody hurts’... Fed revels in delightfully volatile tantrums, storming out when her request to go to boots is denied by Scott’s gently stubborn Bailiff. All exit.... a painful scene ensues between Simon and Maddie... made worse by Katie’s interruption. Tim enters making ‘eeeeeyow” noises and brandishing a paper aeroplane seagull. Jethro enters muttering ‘pops pills, likes a drink, walks around in a cloud. Looks a little like slash.’ “Get inside your head for a few hours” is very well received by the audience. This scene is delightful to watch. Subtle flirtations, both actors playing very positive forward actions. Their relationship is fascinating. Jethro presents an endearing mad writer “like a coke head afraid of white lines.... I’m actually quite a lonely, funny little guy.” Jethro and Katie seem very different from the rest of the house. Outsiders completely. Jethro with his quiet observation of others and Katie with her hopeful adoration. Their exchange is refreshing; they do not seem to have allowed themselves to be smothered by the decay and muted frustration that is ingrained in the world around them.

Act three
Drunken Elena is ballsy and solid. The exchange between her and Jethro is amusing rather than pitiful.... “write... to Elena... who, though very well aware of the bottom of the well – dives in anyway.” Katie’s hesitant and hopeful girl is lovely in comparison to the weary stress of Colin and Fed. The actress seems vulnerable and more put-upon here than in previous performances. Works well to convey what unseen dramas have happened between the acts... The bandage changing sequence is affecting. “Stupid Twat”. A rare glimpse of the actresses’ capacity for love and warmth juxtaposed to Tim’s bubbling anger and resigned darkness.. but the volatility comes out again in her switch to cruelty and anger in the argument that follows... Tim’s “I am not loved. I have nothing. No. Thing. “ is powerful, again... in the same way that Elena’s ‘ I can’t breathe anymore’ was at the end of act one. This show seems darker, and more in tune with the anger and frustration bubbling just beneath the surface of the seagull world. Jethro –“This is special”. Fed and Jethro’s exchange is heart wrenching and passionate... looking at the audience, people are gripped... taught expressions and grimaces as we are unsure who we should be rooting for – the unhappy man who’s asking to be set free, or the mother who’s just sacrificed her son for a man who does not love her? Fed’s fury and desperate pleading is powerful. This scene is incredibly eloquent on the part of both actors.. one of a few instances in which our version of the seagull seems to discover gold that might otherwise lie hidden in translation.

Act Four
Elena and Max – “when you’re near me, I feel slightly closer to death. So fuck off”... Colin... “wished I could have been a better talker.... but I’m not”... “there will be a man, in a hood. Dark hood. No face. Then you too will be afraid of death.”. The tone of this act seems languid and oppressive. Full of resignation and discontent. These appear to be people who have stopped attempting to live, and are resigned to coping with their respective malaise's. “very very ill... but I can’t get a pill”. The game in this act seems to work better (as it did tonight) when Masha is not concerned with the order of text. The ‘real’ playing of the game is far more interesting to watch than some sort of ‘half-game’ that can sometimes occur when attempting to invent a new game from audience handbags...paper (or padlocks, in my case – this brings up again, a question which came up in post-show feedback... would the energy of this act be better and less weary/expectant if we have a real game that we can just play... cards.. dice.. trivia... whatever... discussion?) Tonight, the world seems real, although volume and focus seem to be more anticipatory. Hushed voices in moments of the group scene. Difficult to be objective in how the audience received this, having witnessed it several times. The synergy is there, the world is real – but energy here seems to be a little introspective. This feeling is disrupted by Tim’s suppressed joy at Katie’s appearance.

Katie’s demeanour is very affecting. (I think this, again, like Jethro and Fed in act three is one of the strongest, most powerful moments that could only occur when doing an improvised version). Tonight, for me, this scene showed how, with agility and ease (arising, presumably from Katie’s familiarity with what she has to do) this scene feels most effortless and believable. Katie was speaking quite closely to the text, but it mingles brilliantly – updated, without the stiltedness that working from translation can sometimes bring. Tim’s forced and prolonged embrace whilst Katie angrily cries “I love him, I love him. I still love him.” Beautiful and captivating. This project at its best, me thinks. The gathering seem more relaxed on their return – and my only note on this is that the bang needed to be a lot louder to have its impact – from where I was sitting it was more of a soft thud.

Incredibly proud of tonight’s players. Real honesty all round. No bullshit. A lot of vulnerability and bravery as everyone wrestled truthfully with this constantly evolving creature.

Faye Thomas
(Much Love from overseas, see you all in June!)