The Institute - Review

Act One, Cardiff University

19 June '12

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a subject normally associated with soldiers and warfare, but as a recognised condition it can hit much closer to home. The Institute is an original, thought provoking and moving play on the effects of PTSD on ordinary people.

The main focus is on Ben, a paramedic happily moving through life: buying a house, dancing with his girlfriend and socialising with mates, until he has that ‘one case’ that he cannot do anything about. He is unable to save Mair, a 15 year old girl trapped in a building. Unable to process the helplessness and sense of failure he withdraws from his life and friends. Not understanding his fragile mind-set and frustrated by their inability to help his friends snap, telling him to “Man up like the rest of us” that he is too proud to admit he has a problem. It isn’t just Ben who is affected: the character Jane was in a car crash and Sophie in an abusive relationship – both unable to process and cope with those moments in their lives they end up at the institute, test subjects for a cure. As those cure’s take place the events that cause PTSD in each individual are played out as audio – a clever device that pulls in background information whilst heightening the emotion and atmosphere, wrenching at the heart strings.

The play switches between the different lives affected by PTSD, the victims, their family/friends and the Institute staff who witness the heartache and find their own niches and coping mechanisms with their daily tasks. Using an unconventional device of cast members on stage at all times, the play gains a poignant second layer rather than falling into the usual trap of distracting the audience that this device can bring. It is the ‘patients’ of the institute that remain on stage at all times – they serve as a reminder of PTSD’s effects people.

A difficult subject to tackle, The Institute handles it with sensitivity. Supported by the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Act One is presenting The Institute in Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival this August. A fantastic piece of theatre, I wish the cast and crew every bit of luck in the Fringe.

For info visit: www.actonetheatre.org.uk

The Maids - Theatre Review

The Riverfront, Newport

Weds 13 June
(originally posted for Buzz Mag)

★★★★☆

Standing in The Riverfront's foyer and the scene is already being set, as accordion player Joe Corbett wanders the open spaces, bringing the haunting world of The Maids and Jean Genet to our lives. Acclaimed as a commentary on social class and based on a brutal double murder, The Maids shocked the original audience with its stark portrayal of servant life and sickly sweet etiquette.

Solange (Olwen Rees) and Claire (Christine Pritchard) are servants and sisters in Madame’s house and are unable to escape their repetitive, poverty stricken lives. In those quite moments when Madame is away engaging with her friends and lover over music and champagne, the sisters are able to escape to a secret and savage world to play out an act they call The Ceremony. Swapping roles Claire becomes Madame and Solange becomes Claire: imitating themselves and Madame in a cruel, violent release of frustration, shame and of revenge against their mistress: dreaming up ways to kill her. The sister’s never complete The Ceremony, constantly interrupted by ordinary life, their own fear of failure and conscience. To close the play, Claire succumbs to a moment of mad clarity, adopting the role of Madame she demands the tea – knowing full well it contains an overdose of sleeping pills. Madame (Rosamund Shelley) is in complete contrast to her servants, as she glides through life with ease, melding an air of glamor with a vulnerable naivety, as she is also trapped, but in a male dominated world.

Traditionally the three characters are played by a younger cast but in casting older women director Erica Eirian has added a richer and far darker feel to the piece. Whereas a younger cast might give hope for the future, here there is strength of character, devotion to each other and their imagined task as Rees and Pritchard use their depth of experience to drive home the despair that even hope has gone now servitude has taken their whole lives. Unable to live individual lives as mother or lover the only viable escape is death.

You never quite figure out who is the stronger sister: at times both are as evil as they are loving and desperate As Claire appears weak and whimpering one moment only to egg Solange on the next, plotting their next move. Solange appears the stronger, never breaking and quick to anger but her devotion to Claire is un-paralleled: she would do anything for her.

The atmosphere created by the accordion and mezzo soprano Buddug Verona James is haunting and highly emotional. Opening the play, Buddug’s beautiful voice captures the essence of the anger, despair and pain laid out by the cast.

The Maids will be showing at The Torch Theatre, Milford Haven from Wed 20 - Sat 23 June. Tickets £8 Info:http://www.torchtheatre.co.uk / 01646 695 267