| Not all doom and gloom.... |
At the Torch |
| Torch Theatre- Conversation With A Cupboard Man , Sherman Theatre, Cardiff , March 26, 2002 |
| The cupboard man - played by Craig Rogan - was feeding himself baked beans and pottering around his untidy, 'lived-in' room whilst the audience took their seats. I really liked this set-up, as if we'd just entered his world instead of vice versa, though he was expecting us and kept trying to ignore us by deliberately turning away, shielding himself behind the lapels of his coat. I enjoyed watching him so much (very nosey!), that I was almost disappointed when he started to speak (after a few false starts because of the last audience members arriving in dribs and drabs, and having to take his cue to start proper from them). The Cupboard Man proceeded to tell us about his mother whose strange molly-coddling behaviour seemed to be responsible for his apparent mental health problems and disadvantaged situation. She hadn't wanted him to grow up, preferring to keep him inside, away from external influences including school, for almost 18 years, and even made him sit in a home made high-chair in his early teens. As a result his relationship with her became somewhat strained and confused, especially when she re-married and suddenly had eyes only for her new husband. They say acting drunk is the hardest to do, but I think playing a character with learning difficulties and/ or mental health troubles must be even harder to achieve convincingly, without the usual overdose of jibberings and sudden outbursts. Although I did wince a few times, in anticipation that he might over-do it on the twitchings, but the personality of the cupboard man was written with more depth and intelligence than that. Occasionally his ducking and diving out of the way of imagined and remembered smacks and punches was slightly annoying, but I remain unsure as to whether this was due to repetition or because it makes uncomfortable viewing. It did feel difficult to laugh at some of the funny moments because depression and other mental afflictions are still somewhat taboo. But it wasn't all doom and gloom. When he relayed to us a story from his days in "a home" - after finally leaving his mother - where one of the carers had encouraged him to dance, I wanted to hear one the records they had played together, rather than the signature Embrace track used throughout the piece, to bring his memories more 'to life'; but the gentleness of Embrace's guitar was somehow appropriate. The only other moment when a theatrical device was used to express something about his remembered experiences was as eerily evocative lighting state that accompanied the retelling of his ordeal in which he was shut inside an industrial oven by his abusive boss at his hotel dishwashing job. Paradoxically he felt safe an comforted by the confined dark space of his cupboard, into which he retreated at the end of sharing with us his disturbing story and future plans. Rogan's performance must have been demanding both emotionally and physically (and felt just the right length at an hour), as it was very energetic, tactile and left me with an empathy for his bizarre life, situation and complex, honest character. |
Reviewed by: Zoe Hewett |
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