Whilst English football still waits for “it” to come home, the Mercury welcomes home a trophy laden play, originating here as part of the emerging playwrights course, and after a triumphant run at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Abigail’s mum is dead, but she can’t afford her to be. It costs four grand for the average funeral, and the local theatre has pulled out of commissioning her new project. Asked to write about something she knows, Abigail begins to draft her grief into a new play about her mother. Jone’s script skilfully blends themes and genres, ultimately a play about the class system working against the working classes even after death, the preconceived “council house porn” narrative of theatres and middle classes, the imposition of stereotypes on audiences. It seamlessly moves between laugh out loud moments and beautifully moving sequences, and its meta theatre ultimately reminds us of the magic of theatre and creative spaces.
The cast are superb. As Abigail, Nicole Sawyerr proves that fragility can have supreme power and energy. Tense, nervous throughout, battling the days that click by until her mother’s body is released to the council, she has an immediate connection to the audience, gaining empathy and conveying the protective layers she puts on in her writing to get paid to bury her mother. Debra Baker is outstanding in a variety of roles, not least as Mum, but also as the middle class, drama school trained actress playing Mum, who is trying to “find” her character, who must surely be drunk because she is on benefits and lives in a council flat. Excellent Samuel Armfield is particularly effective as the theatre “gate keeper”, groans of recognition coming from writers and creatives in the audience who have jumped through many hoops required by commissioning theatres! As sharp as Jone’s satire is, the truth of the situation is never sacrificed, the theatre becoming more excited as the “play” becomes rawer, as Abigail exposes more of her grief. It is beautiful writing.
Director Charlotte Bennett pitches the pace perfectly, and a functional and effective set by Rhys Jarman, (set designers hilariously lampooned in the show), leads us to a beautiful stage picture that will last in the memory. Although the play is about grief, it is mainly about love, and wanting to pay appropriate tribute to our loved ones. It may only be 80 minutes long, but it contains more depth than any three act state of the nation epic staged across the UK.
Unmissable.
Written by Kelly Jones.
Directed by Charlotte Bennett.
Cast: Samuel Armfield, Debra Baker, Nicole Sawyerr.
Running time: 80 minutes with no interval.
Until September 21st at the Mercury, then on tour to Bristol Old Vic, The Core at Corby Cube,
Royal and Derngate, Northampton, Northern Stage, Newcastle.