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Split Soul Dance Theatre
Leaving
Greenwich Playhouse
22 April – 11 May, 2008
A review byKirsty Harris for EXTRA! EXTRA!
Sarah O’Hanlon’s new play uses the mind and body of one woman as a vessel for several characters to embody. Eloquent text and inspired design stand out. Leaving mixes up the sometimes dry format of a dramatic monologue and turns it into a mixed media menagerie. However, sometimes more is not necessarily better. There are some beautiful images woven through the fractured text; little snippets of highly magnified observation that focus emotion around the minutiae of life. Unfortunately Julia Barnett doesn’t have the vocal range to keep the audience interested when these words are being spoken. One has to work quite hard to catch them. The characters all have something interesting to say and a story behind them, but at 50 minutes long there is just not enough time to develop these roles and therefore we don’t have the opportunity to start empathising. I wanted to have a reason to feel for the ballet dancer, the chess player and the others. They all have the beginnings of complex and sophisticatedly drawn parts to a whole with dramatic weight. Julia Barnett shines in the physical aspects of her multiple roles. Obviously a skilled dancer she uses physicality to express with originality the madness of a woman. More styalised movement would enhance this performance by compensating for the slight banality of her vocal technique. The design (Eva Liparova) of the only piece of set - a wardrobe from which all props unfold - is beautiful and brings an air of magic to the piece. It speaks of multiple worlds and worlds within the mind and all the quirky facets that there are to be discovered. Clunky scene transitions mar this innovative design and break the surreal bubble in which the action takes place. Two stage hands hide behind the wardrobe when not operating a tights-and-coat-hanger puppet or some other action, but they really are a distraction when there is only one other performer on stage. Perhaps finding a way in which the ‘woman’ can operate alone would be more slick. This may also say more about the singleness of all the separate psyches we are exposed to in the piece. The audio/visual elements of Leaving achieve the sophistication that the transitions do not. The sound (designed by Max Perryment) manages to create eerie and atmospheric elegance at the outset, then blends more sporadic electronics later on as the tone shifts. The lighting (designed by Jack Knowles) is seamless and has obviously been created with thought and skill. Without creating any visual clichés, the states change depending on character, mood, emotion and give an edgy feel to the piece. Essentially, what Leaving lacks is enough time to create fully formed characters within the choppy framework. As an audience we want to have hints of past experiences and moments where we can easily feel for the dancer/chess player/asylum seeker/ mad woman. There are too many stories here and all of them try to be beautifully told. Pared down to one or two women, each could blossom into a diversely drawn role with their own stories spinning off into the black box space. Sarah O’Hanlon has lots of worthy ideas and obvious talent as a writer but in the case of Leaving perhaps less content would give this piece room to breathe.
Tuesday – Saturday 8pm Box Office: 020 8858 9256
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