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VAB Productions Catalysta
By Allister Bain
Directed by Robert Icke
Oval House Theatre
21st October – 8th November 2008
A review by Colette Gunn-Graffy for EXTRA! EXTRA!
In 2004, Hurricane Ivan devastated the island nation of Grenada. The powerful storm uprooted trees, ripped apart houses, washed away roads and left tens of thousands of people homeless. In his foreword to the programme for Catalysta, playwright Allister Bain admits he himself was not in his native Grenada at the time of the hurricane, but after listening to the experiences of family and friends, he wrote his own story of the event. Yet the play that resulted, Catalysta, is not a literal depiction of the storm. Instead, it is the story of a family besieged by long-simmering tensions and destructive behaviours, and their ability to change – or not – in the aftermath of devastation. Feisty and opinionated, elderly Eartha knows exactly how things should be done in her household. Although she forgives her husband Edward, a gentle, slow-speaking man, for forgetting to hang up his towels in the bathroom, she cannot manage quite the same generosity of spirit towards her only daughter Pat, whose values and attitudes towards work and parenting are too far removed from her own. Pat is deeply in-debt and married to Lionel, a good-looking scrounger, who claims to be self-employed, but at what, no one is really sure. What is sure is that Lionel is consistently borrowing money from his wife, who borrows it from Eartha. Unable to afford a mortgage, Pat, Lionel and their eleven-year-old daughter Connie live in Eartha and Edward’s house. Eartha is frustrated by Pat’s dependency, her continued spending of money she does not have, and the way in which she spoils Connie, driving her the five minutes it takes to get to school and buying her takeaway hamburgers because she turns up her nose at the food prepared for her at home. Resenting her mother’s know-it-all criticism, Pat, in turn, refuses to change, unwilling to acknowledge that she is unhappy with Lionel. Enter Catalysta, like a cooling breeze. Eartha’s much younger sister, Catalysta grew up in Grenada, but now lives in London. Full of life, energy and wisdom, Catalysta challenges the behaviour of each member of the household, using stories and morals to make her point. Before the family can change, however, each must confront the others. As tempers flare, and illusions are shattered, the question is whether the family will be able to pick up the pieces and move on. Catalysta is a character-driven play. Although Bain relies on recognisable ‘character types’ and dynamics – the overbearing wife/meek husband, the good-for-nothing husband/put-upon wife – he has largely succeeded in crafting a family of individual voices, which were brought out in strong performances across the board from the actors in this production. In particular, veteran television and stage actors Carmen Munroe (‘Shirley’ in The Desmonds) and Angela Wynter (‘Yolande Trueman’ in EastEnders), both of whom receive top billing on Oval House’s website, carry the show with their energy. Munroe is powerful as Eartha. Stalking around in floral-print dresses, she nails Eartha’s self-righteous exasperation, lending unexpected humour to such lines as, ‘I am mother. Martyr.’ Wynter is equally good as Catalysta, her laughter and grace creating a much needed – and indeed, cooling – contrast to the heated exchanges between the other family members. Cedric Henderson Duncan, as Edward, is an additional delight. Speaking slowly and shuffling along, he utters some hilarious one-liners, all the more humorous for the pace of their delivery. That the play takes place in Grenada, we are never allowed to forget. In addition to the references to Grenadian culture and places peppered throughout the dialogue, Rhys Jarman’s homely but uncluttered set design includes several paintings of tropical scenes, as well as long shuttered windows that open out into warm yellow light. Between scenes, noises of the sea can be heard: gulls cry as waves wash gently onto shore. As a playwright, Bain is very lyrical, especially in the writing of monologues; in particular, Eartha’s description of the hurricane and its aftermath is stunningly beautiful, despite the devastation she portrays. The sense of the sea being ever present, then, is important, as it reminds us not only of the recent destructive storm, but also of water’s potential for rebirth and renewal. Perhaps the real testament to the success of director Robert Icke’s production was the incredible energy radiating from the audience at the performance I attended. Oval House Theatre offers a small and intimate stage setting, in which the actors are, at most, a few yards away. Watching the drama unfold, audience members laughed, gasped and murmured their agreement aloud, as though they too were involved in the action onstage. The family’s joy was also their joy; the family’s wounds, their wounds. At the end of the night, it felt as though the audience were clapping not only for the actors, but also for the recognition of their own capacity for resilience. A powerful and heart-warming production, Catalysta manages to champion not only individual self-reliance, but also the love and support of family from which we derive our strength.
Tuesday – Saturday @ 7:45pm,
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y Couzen