At Hijinx Theatre |
| Hijinx Theatre- into My Own , Llanover Hall, Cardiff , July 9, 2004 |
| “A friend gave me a card when my first child was born and in it she wrote– ‘There are two lasting bequests we can give our children, one of these is roots and the other is wings.’” Glenys Evans – Author These simple, yet profound words open the play, liltingly sung by the cast to Paula Gardiner’s crystal clear music and which they accompany on accordion, guitar, double base and percussion. Other equally gentle and ‘easy to listen to’ themes underline the action from time to time as the play progresses. To entertain, to enlighten, to raise the spirit: it has often been suggested that that these three phrases sum up the purpose of successful drama. This gem of a production most definitely succeeds on all counts. The play is one that fits into Hijinx’ brief to present work to be appreciated by an audience of people with special needs. It is a short play cleverly condensing a complex story into clear expressive dialogue that gives us a vivid understanding of every situation. Anne is a young lady with learning difficulties who has been over-loved by her mother and although capable, has never been given the chance to do very much for herself. One positive thing her mother had bequeathed her is a fascination for dancing which she worked hard at but could achieve very little. Her mother, due to illness and ageing is the one who now needs caring for and Anne is left alone in the family home. A situation she is not equipped to deal with. Her brother Ken, though not unfeeling, with his own working and family commitments is not able to provide long term assistance. This is a situation he is totally unfamiliar with and has great difficulty in explaining the position to his sister. Every word of dialogue is very carefully chosen but by the nature of the piece there are not a great deal of them. Not a great deal of writing to delineate any real depth of character, this is not the fault of the writing but an inevitable response to the demands of the play. It is to the great credit of ever-stalwart director Gaynor Lougher and the actors that each character is drawn so clearly and so accurately. Nia Davies’ Anne is a joy; her ability to capture the character’s bewilderment and vulnerability with such a strong acting performance is a wonderful demonstration of the art of acting. Alex Perry, early in his career, is already showing how convincingly he can master a character. Dilys, a delightfully energetic performance from Eloise Howe has suffered from over activity but has been receiving help from a social worker for sometime and is now well able to live on her own. Nick Wayland Evans, when he’s not deftly wielding the bow across his double bass brings the same seemingly effortless touch to his performance as the social worker and is able to express so accurately the understandings, patience and gentleness that such people must possess. Dilys is introduced to Anne and it is their share of a love of dancing that soon breaks the ice and soon Anne is well on her way ‘Into My Own’. Another highly absorbing and entertaining piece of magic from Hijinx. |
Reviewed by: Michael Kelligan |
This review has been read 2481 times There are 82 other reviews of productions with this title in our database:
|
