| |
Theatre listings >
Theatre Index >>
A Special Relationship
- Tour & World Premiere.
First performance at York Theatre Royal 11 September 2003.
Playwright - Sara Clifford.
Director - Lucy Pitman-Wallace.
Set & Costume Designer - Jessica Curtis.
Lighting Designer - Oliver Fenwick.
Sound Designer - Whizz.
Company - Three Legged Theatre Company
(e-mail) co-production with York
Theatre Royal.
Cast - here .
2003 Tour Dates and Times - here .
Seen to review at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh 1 October 2003.
Run Time - 1 hours 40 mins including 1 Interval .
Reviewer - Thelma Good.
Challenge of too small set.
A Special Relationship - Three Legged Theatre Company/York Theatre
Royal.
Dave Fishley as Sam and Amelda Brown as Barbara.
© Tim Smith 2003.
|
Five hours in a very small room with a person you have only met through
letters is a daunting enough experience. In Sara Clifford's new play,
Barbara a 50 year old woman encounters a much younger man, Sam, in such
a room. He's black and on Death Row, she's a white, wooly English liberal,
a hippy in her youth. They don't have a lot in common. But in two short
acts Clifford suggests their common humanity can create between them close
and real links. David Fishley's and Amelda Brown's give strong performances
skillfully dealing with a play and a production that doesn't quite come
fully together.
Sam and Barbara both come with histories personal and historical, and
both are found wanting. Those histories are shown in flashbacks, with
the actors stepping out from a so tiny inner square stage and defining
cube of poles to the narrow perimeter ledge that runs around it. The set
although underlining their close confinement hovers irresolvably between
attempting to be real reality, and just suggesting the setting - there's
a too clean toilet in the already too small cell. At times the lack of
space results in odd directorial choices - when Barbara is setting light
to the American Flag outside the US Embassy the American serviceman grabs
it and puts it down the pan!
The title hints at the bigger picture Clifford has in mind as well as
the contrast between these very different characters. The supposed relationship
between their nations which also has gross misunderstandings and lack
of knowledge about one another reflect in Sam and Barbara. Generally the
play avoids the traps of issue plays, letting us explore and see the incidents
raw, at times the message is hammered in a little bluntly.
But the production does leave spaces for the audience to think and reflect.
As David Fishley's Sam repeatedly asks Amelda Brown's Barbara if she believes
he's innocent, I had a revelation. Having a death penalty may well prevent
most guilty prisoners waiting on Death Row facing what they have done.
Here in Britain doing that, taking on board what they actually did, has
started some of our "lifers" on a journey which has seen them
become worthwhile members of life outside. It's an unevenly structured
and uncomfortable play, but it will leave you thoughtful.
© Thelma Good 2 October 2003. - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
Cast: Sam - David Fishley and Amelda Brown.
2003 Tour Details of Three Legged Theatre Company/York
Theatre Royal's production of A Special Relationship.
Tour begins
11 - 27 September at York Theatre Royal 01904 623568.
1- 4 Oct at 7.30pm Edinburgh Traverse Theatre 0131 228 1404.
6 - 8 Oct at 7.45pm Stoke New Vic Theatre Studio 01782 717962.
9 - 10 Oct at Scarborough Stephen Joseph Theatre 01723 370541.
13 - 15 Oct at 8pm Guildford Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, 01483 440000.
16 -18 Oct at 8pm Bristol Old Vic 0117 987 7877.
20 - 25 Oct at 8pm London, E8 The Arcola 020 7503 1646.
Tour ends
Theatre Editor, Thelma Good's e-mail is
thelma@edinburghguide.com
Although every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the
information presented in these pages, no responsibility can be accepted
for any errors or omissions.
Theatre listings >
Theatre Index >>
|
|
