REVIEW - SIX PLAYS ONE DAY

Six Plays One Day is the marathon theatrical event that made its debut at the Tristan Bates Theatre where it ran for two seasons before the pandemic struck. Now it’s back, but this time at The Space on the Isle of Dogs. Produced by Threedumb starting from the early afternoon till evening, a mixture of both works-in-progress and tried-and-tested theatre is shared.

Permanent Tenancy by Louis Gale

(Being a staged reading, we have not graded this piece in the five star system.)

Permanent Tenancy is a six-handed staged reading play based on a group of five university friends and potential loved ones whose worlds are turned upside down when they make a unanimous discovery. It depicts the relevance to modern-day choices and positive and negative attitudes relating to people who are students and the question of ‘What next?’ Unfortunately, many people’s backgrounds are compressed in these 60 minutes whilst also dealing with a whole ‘out of body’ situation which doesn’t add for much depth on actually getting to know all of these characters apart from one side which is used throughout.

Even with the title of the play giving you the sense of the play, Louis Gale gives many starts and finishes through its characters relationships between Colin, our lead played by Pete Austin, and his dilemma of a partner Harper (played by Laura Noble)to be. Even conflicts between its others characters like Gethin and Emily (played by Berwyn Jones and Sophie Koumidas) had emotional moments but left us unsatisfied and wanting more.The potential is apparent but the writing just needs refurbishing and a good paint job to add a better connection.

Giving momentum through the whole piece was Laura Noble. She lead us through the whole play narrative in setting the scene and stage directions which was handy for this reading which used no props or changes in visual set of student flat. She took upon 5 different characters to make and invest many agendas for each of our base flatmates, impressively using various accents which all sounded spot on.

This concept is an interesting one but some elements don’t work well for this format in logistics and practicality. It’s clear there is still a lot more of exploring to do on this piece and I am excited to see where it leads and the outcome of the best possible medium wether that be stage or something other. With a little more work and drive to make a valid impression with friends in a flat dealing with humane and ethical questions, ‘ Permanent tendency’ is going to have to hold off viewings till it’s set for a later date.

Chicken Pasta by Katie Read

Chicken Pasta follows George and Kat as they navigate the complexities of a relationship plagued by a deadline: George has bowel cancer. Together they must discover all the unexpected impacts of ‘the big C.’ A realistic setting and tone is shown within this piece with highs and lows, the struggles and arguments, the impact the situation has on both parties, and how sometimes just the simplest decisions of what to eat are hard choices in the moment too.

The connection between the two characters is lovely to watch although it felt at times they were just responding to each other more so than listening to each other. It would have been nice to see the characters (especially George) be more grounded. Also, some dialogue felt questionable when a simple silence would have added so much more impact. A further background on the characters is desirable to grasp their individual goals and journeys thus far to see how (if at all) their connection has changed within this time. I wish there were clearer clarification on some parts of the performance. The neutral conversations between the characters lacked emotional extremes.

The overall flow of time transitioned smoothly with the change of outfits, topics, and some days being better or harder than others. The ending was a nice touch, finishing on a big decision discussed together rather than a cliché. Chicken Pasta is a refreshingly genuine play that doesn’t have a sugarcoated story.

Ophelia by Hannah Roze-Lewis

A cumbrian folk tale mixed with Shakespearean tragedy, a dread of family, and a true crime tale? All come to life by the stand-out performance (a work in progress) from Hannah Roze-Lewis herself as Ophelia who already feels somewhat confined in her actions from her given name of a tragic heroin.

Set in a transparent web-filled stage with flower crowns, petals, and sticky notes, Roze-Lewis shines in playing a 16-year-old girl of the midlands whose name and life parallels Shakespeare’s character. Using original music composition and spoken-word rhyming narrative, we follow Ophelia’s journey on a long, winding day-by-day road. Through each day she faces comparisons to the well-known character; not only because of her name, but also how she struggles with depression and feels as ‘mad’ as the women condemned to the lake district in witch-hunting Cumbrian days.

Weaving through several days and never sure which part of the story follows the next, we did lose ourselves trying follow this non-linear story line of dates jumping back and fourth on both dates and subjects. Using an artistic breath to transition from each entry feels too forced at times, making it feel more like a drama school technique than fluid in understanding. There is no denying Roze-Lewis’ abilities in bringing this character to life with engaging expressions and likability; however, narrowing down the overall story would make it much clearer as it kept swaying off topic. Moments like the Hamlet-Ophelia connection, spoken word elements, and Shakespeare sonnets have the most impact in delivering life into this one-woman diary entry drama, especially how it delves into mental health for young woman and the isolation of the Lake District. With a better structure, this unique and captivating piece will bring a beautiful story with topics that aren’t often delivered in this way.

Unstitching by Ruby Shrimpton

In Unstitching, an awkward woman stands on a stage because she wants to be seen and express herself authentically, but it’s a lot harder than she thought. She attempts spoken-word, cynical ranting and Eurovision choreography.

At first, I was blown away with the crotched costume and feel that it was such a unique and symbolic outfit. Using yarn in the whole piece shows vulnerability, with threads being released like laying herself out for the world to see, then wrapping herself up into a tangled web. Shrimpton does well at engaging the audience with an impressive knowledge of Eurovision and many facts that will prepare you for any “upcoming pub quiz.”

So much is thrown into this mainly upbeat show, which is a joy to watch but doesn’t overly make sense. Shrimpton’s ironic comments about how it doesn’t make sense and that she would start over if she could is commendable in potentially knowing that it’s a bit all over place, and in some ways that’s the point – trying to express showcase. The spoken-word elements worked well; however, on this occasion, I couldn’t hear very well due to the microphone speeches she screams through, which is a shame as I feel this is a stronger element of the show.

For a show that’s meant to be about someone wanting to express themselves, I went away knowing more about Eurovision than anything about her as a person (other than her love for it). Unstitching is a show in the works that I feel is still a joy to watch, but I would still love to gain more insight into the world of Shrimpton, even if it is through Eurovision metaphors.

At Eternity’s Gate by Joseph Winder

Theo surmises his relationship with his brother’s famous work and reflects on his life lived after his passing. Writer Joseph Winder gives a previously untold sad depiction of a brother’s life through the eyes of another in At Eternity’s Gate.

The concept is very thought-out and well-dressed on the stage with art frames, paper, and wheat scattering the stage. His costume also gives a sense of the time period. The play begins with us dropping on a random moment of Theo (we only learn his name after three-fourths of the play) walking through the pangs and toils of his life in an unknown location. We later understand he is reminiscing about his brother, Vincent Van Gough, because he has a parcel from him. Though he isn’t in complete control of his life or his health, we sat and listened to this character bemoan or relish the moments he had with his family and loved ones who are now lost.

Drifting in and out of many different places and issues, we follow as much as we can of Theo. Even though he delivers such eloquence to his words, often we found ourselves very lost to the whole meaning of the story and how much this man really wanted from his life or his brother’s. We were lost from the very beginning as to what tone Winder wanted to accomplish. With a little more change of tone, added songs, or a drawing here and there to emphasis the people he and his brother were, the play might get somewhere. It is such a great concept of someone who has never been heard of before, but the overall play just begs the question, “What is the point of the play?” We wish the actor major success in retelling this story with much more depth and new waves of clarity.

Pill by Rebecca Phythian

Pill, an autobiographical one-act play, tackles the issues surrounding the contraceptive pill and its mighty list of side effects from a first-hand experience.

The poignant voice recordings at the opening set the tone of the episodic styled play with verbatim storytelling. A straight to the point, unapologetically authentic telling of the realness of what so many people face when on the pill is such an important subject that many brush under the rug, feeling it’s just something we need to put up with. Pill poses many facts that people just don’t get told.

Phythian repeatedly goes to the doctor’s office to collect more pills only to face constant rejection justified by her being ‘able to make eye contact’ and looking ‘presentable enough.’ Each time she goes, her physicality gets more intense, but the doctor’s answers remain the same. A stand-out part of her performance was when she had written on her body the words of all the side effects these pills caused such as depression, nausea, and blood clots. This is only a few of what many people face from these side effects.

My main criticism for this piece is the want for it to be longer. There is much to explore, and 30 minutes is far too short for such an overwhelming topic. Pill’s aim is to prompt women into action when it comes to the inadequate help and guidance they receive about sexual health, specifically contraception. Despite the shortness, it does accomplish this and is a show that should be taken to schools to spread further awareness.

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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