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 The theme of two lovers who bridge (literally in this case) a divide, before it all ends in tragedy, may seem as old as the hills. However, it is a sign of both the excellence of the writing and acting, as well as Amanda Wagott’s direction, that the Tower Theatre’s production of Igor Memic’s Old Bridge succeeds on its own terms, without reference to any other plays.
Old Bridge is set in the historic city of Mostar in the early 1990s, which was famous for the titular seventeenth century bridge, as well as the mixture of ethnic Serbs, Bosnians and Croatians living together in apparent harmony. When Croatian Milli (Tommy Saunders) decides to take part in the annual contest to see who can do the best dive from the bridge, he falls in love with local girl Mina (Arabella Hornby), and becomes part of her circle with Lelia (Emily Carmichael) and Sasha (Aleksei Toshev). However, Milli and Mina’s bliss is wrecked by the start of what will become the Bosnian war, which will eventually turn Croat against Bosnian.
One of Memic’s big innovations to have Emina, an older Mina (played by Rachael Bothamley and Sarah Assaf), as a narrator. This is a clever decision, not just because it provides an element of foreshadowing, but also because Emina is so different from her younger self that it takes some time before you realise that they are actually the same person. Bothamley and Assaf are also talented actors who can provide both the wonder and maturity to provide a bridge between the two Mina’s.
Another decision that works surprisingly well is to split the play into two halves, with an interval between them. While this might seem unnecessary given that the play itself has a running time of ninety minutes, it works well because the two halves are distinct, with the sweet, optimistic first half giving way into a claustrophobic descent into savagery as Milli and Mina, along with their friends, become prisoners in their own town. While the second half is emotionally intense, it is never gratuitous, with even the bitterness in the ending balanced by optimism about the future.
Each of the four actors, does an excellent job of teasing out their character’s distinct personality. Arabella Hornby perfectly portrays someone caught up in the thrill of romance, and Emily Carmichael is also excellent as her best friend. Tommy Saunders is a mixture of awkwardness and confidence as Milli. Aleksi Toshev plays Sasha as someone who uses clowning and jokes as a shield, only revealing his true feelings at the very end.
Angelika Mitchitsch’s set balances simplicity and elegance, while Sue Carling’s costumes capture the period. Other crew members include Andy Peregrine as lighting designer, Harry Tomlin as sound design, Nicola Vasey as stage manager, Jonathan Reed as assistant director, Deborah Ley as deputy stage manager, Matthew Ibbotson as lighting operator and Jacqui Dickson as sound operator.
Overall, this is a powerful and moving play, which will give you a feel for what’s it like to live in a warzone.
Photography by Giulia Paratelli
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