| incites into this world of feminine desperationI ! |
At the Other Room |
| The Awkward Years , The Other Room , September 20, 2018 |
Matthew Bulgo is very clearly a successful man of the theatre, award-winning playwright, producer, director, actor and dramaturg. With The Awkward Years he gives us a beautiful poem, a hard hitting account of a few days in the life of a somewhat cynical young woman working her way through a continuing stream of lovers, that may be too strong a word, comparing notes with her flat mate. For a mere man, Bulgo poses some very good incites into this world of feminine desperation.Lauren O’Leary as Lily captures well the resigned, hopeless spirit of this 27 year old, post-uni girl looking for a life but not looking too hard. We first meet her balancing on the toilet after a night out and a night in. The guy is still lying in her bed but he soon goes. We follow her to work; she’s a Life Guard in a swimming pool. Things are not going well. Her boss gives her a final warning but she tells him where to stick his job! All she seems to need in life is a few drinks and there’s always a bloke around to oblige and he could get lucky and he usually does. Recriminations followed: her flat mate moves out. She’s walking the streets, goes into a club. More vodkas etc. She grabs a bloke by his shirt. Things don’t work out. Things don’t end well at all. It is to O’Leary’s great credit that she is able to keep us captivated by this down-beat story. Hilary Statts’ plain angular set brings us right into the action. Dan Jones’ direction ensures that we are having this conversation directly and intimately with Lily. Despite her off-beat life, underpinned with effective sharp dance movements devised by Krista Vuori, good atmospheric lighting by Angharad Evans and well matched sound by Tic Ashfield, Lily does eventually endear herself to us This was a well-observed and detailed look into this world of blind pleasure that looked like it would just go on and on. But humanity did cut in very strongly as the play ended and we were given a new vulnerability from the actress making us see Lily in a new and different light. Bulgo’s powerful poem rounded itself off hinting at a new road ahead. I did feel however that O’Leary could have given us a bit more of a sense of theatrical excitement to bring the piece even more to life. |
Reviewed by: Michael Kellligan |
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