| Strong, real and raw, compelling narrative |
Theatr Iolo |
| Theatr Iolo- The Ugly Truth , Chapter Arts Centre Cardiff , February 26, 2010 |
The Ugly Truth does deal with truth and with ugliness and this play, currently touring to secondary schools in Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan, presents us with its ugliness in a fantastical and frantic comedy performance from Hannah McPake that clearly places her amongst the top female comedy performers in the country. Lee Evans in a hoody! She gives us a magical double edged performance along with her ‘friend’ and protagonist, given an outstandingly assured first professional performance by Shekira Johnson.These two teenagers were friends when they were very small but have not met each other for many years. When Lindsay moves back to the area and catches up with Phoebe she finds that the sophisticated teenager doesn’t want to be bothered with a gauche girl with scraggy hair, wearing farmers’ boots. But Lindsay remembers some embarrassing incidents from Phoebe’s past so they hang out together. Under Phoebe’s influence, the two girls turn on the ‘ugly’ boy in the class, a smelly dirty creature, Christopher. McPake dons a hoody and introduces us to this sad young man. When Christopher finds a girl friend, Bethany with astigmatism, Johnson puts on a pair of glasses and the hilarity begins. But these are intelligent and sensitive performers. Behind the superficial mayhem there is a poignant understanding of the awful plight of these two outsiders. Even more theatrical magic emerges. The girls start by giving hurtful imitations of their quarry but as the teasing dialogue progresses we are drawn further in and we become convinced that we are actually watching the other characters, Christopher and Bethany, working out their own relationship in front of us. The strong affinity that flourishes between them is in sharp contrast to the convenient superficial relationship between Phoebe and Lindsay. There may only be two actresses in the play but we meet four very contrasting characters. There is no didactic message but many young people in the target audience will no doubt see aspects of their own behaviour being played out before them. A devised piece with the two performers contributing a lot of improvisation into situations set up for them by the shrewd expertise of director Sara Argent, but all the while during the rehearsals, award winning, prolific sharp eyed playwright, Gary Owen, was sitting watching from his seat in a corner of the room. Hence this strong, real and raw, compelling narrative |
Reviewed by: Michael Kelligan |
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