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There’s something special about watching the first performance of a play – after all, every single production we’ve ever loved was once “new writing”. So it was with pleasurable anticipation that I rocked up to the Tower’s opening night of the Writers’ Room showcase of four new plays on the theme of “Home”, written by members of the Tower’s writing group.
There’s a lot to consider when presenting a collection of short pieces like this – it’s as much about curation and practicality as it is about performance. How will the order of the plays affect the overall audience experience? Will there be a mix of styles and how will it begin and end? With my techie head on I am wondering how they will segue neatly between the pieces, which plays will use the same furniture/props as other plays – and will that inform the order of the pieces?
So first up was An IQ Test for my Birthday by Melanie Bell, directed by Ragan Keefer. This was engaging and well-acted, though it felt a bit light on narrative arc and dramatic tension. There was some good interplay between the characters, though ultimately, I didn’t get a sense that the characters had a life beyond this story. The theme of “Home” did not resonate strongly in this piece, which made it seem a little out of place as the evening progressed.
Next was Difficult to Describe, Understand or Measure by Sibila Diaz-Plaja. Faith Abongo directed two fine performances from Rebecca Allan as Jo and Nick Edwards as Tom, a couple who are splitting up and packing up their home. The second scene was a flashback to the excitement of when they first moved into their flat full of hopes for the future, which provided a poignant contrast to the first scene. I did wonder whether it was necessary to perform the scenes in “reverse order” and felt it would have worked just as well have done them in a linear fashion. It was beautifully performed, though, and really evoked the heartbreak of an amicable separation.
After the interval we came back to a transformed set for Homemakers by Janet South. Feiyang Yang’s thoughtful direction of Sophia Chrisafis as Karola and Thisakya Dias as Devan drove this piece and kept us all engaged and wondering – what did happen to Karola’s previous bench-mate and what will happen to the current one? The interplay between the two women was excellent – moving neatly through mentoring and camaraderie, growing irritation, unease and breakdown of trust and, finally, professional rivalry. There was a strongly tragic (in the dramatic sense) arc in this story - and a satisfying conclusion. The themes of Devan desperately wanting her own space and Karola wanting her family around her, while they both mass produce miniature houses was a neatly apposite comment on the evening’s theme. I can’t leave this part of the review without commenting on the production values of this short play, I liked the bleak industrial feel of the setting and the well-crafted props for the assembly line. The “productivity” announcements added extra tension to the dystopian atmosphere. This felt like a well-rounded and thought-through presentation.
To round off the second half of the evening, we had When You Go to Ireland by Kate Roche. There was a wonderful family dynamic in this three-hander with, Rosanna Preston playing Evelyn, mother of Tessa (Kate Pemberton) and Irvine (Joshua Picton). Excellent performances from all three highlighted the humour, poignancy, rivalries and alliances of family life. I’ve lost a few of my older rellies this last year, and I found that this piece resonated strongly with me. Simona Hughes directed this fine piece of writing with great sensitivity – and I had no trouble imagining the characters’ lives outside of this small slice of their story.
In a collection of plays (like this) the thematic link should be strong, and I felt this was mostly achieved, though the theme of “Home” seemed a bit of an afterthought in the first play. The second play was good commentary on the sadness of a break-up and leaving a shared home, the third displaying the irony of creating miniature homes while longing for a place of one’s own. The final piece was an amusing and thoughtful meditation on where you want your final home to be – and who gets to decide?
Overall, it was a properly cohesive collection. The pieces were all roughly the same length with well-drilled scene changes performed by members of cast in appropriate costuming for the piece. There was some top prop-management from the seamless backstage team, led by Jacqui Dickson. In fact, I didn’t really notice in the end whether the order of the plays was dictated by the furniture and set changes, which showed some thoughtful curation of the show. My companion for the evening commented that Robin Snowden’s lighting was a bit gloomy – particularly in the first half, though it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. It seemed to brighten up as the performance progressed. Colin Guthrie’s sound design was as thoughtful as ever. It was a good night out, and – having been to a few of these montage evenings – it feels as though the Tower is getting good at them. I am looking forward to more from the Writers’ Room.
Photography by Jason Harris
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