Etcetera Theatre, London
****
Part
of the Etcetera Theatre's 'Pay Nothing Play Anything' (PNPA) festival, There's No Place Like Home by Imp Face
Theatre Company offers a disturbing yet hilarious look into the life of Neil
and Elizabeth, who are no ordinary married couple: Neil is dead. Having somehow
returned to his wife, he is unable to leave the house, and can be heard by all
but only seen by his wife. What unravels is the stress and problems that happen
when the marriage can't leave the house, and a slightly twisted look into whether
there really is a life after death.
Situated
in the heart of Camden's high street, the Etcetera Theatre is above the Oxford
Arms pub, seating a moderate audience of 42. On entry, the set instantly got my
attention – a hanging window and notice board from the roof of the stage was an
effective use of the small space. My only worry was that there were a few
trips, and a possible re-arranging may be in order to save any possible
injuries to the cast or performance itself; all were expertly covered by the
performers, though. Elizabeth (Jo Wang-Holm) was sat during the incoming on top
of a ladder, an incredibly clever way of denoting being upstairs asleep. The
stage was most definitely set for something quite remarkable.
One
of the company's strongest elements was their comedic timing; in such a small
space it's hard to get the audience laughing. John Fagan as Neil hit the nail
on the head, notably when a Sainsbury's delivery man turns up, and Neil
realises the limitations of, firstly, not being able to leave the house, and
secondly to not be seen by anyone. Fagan portrays the frustration of a man
fatally tied to the role of ghostly househusband with precision and wit, and
one of the biggest highlights of the play is his sudden humorous epiphany that
he may, just may, be a guardian angel.
Wang-Holm
was a delight to watch; a beautifully shown journey from utterly shocked yet
relieved widow-turned-wife, to a stressed and confused woman wanting to branch
out of the cage her husband is trapped in. The two of them were well coupled,
reacting to each other perfectly, which made for a very convincing emotional
development through the few months over which the play unfolds. One of my
favourite moments of the play was Rebekah Roe's performance of Katie's
exceedingly drunk rant about her man troubles, not remembering her friend's
recent widowhood until her tirade is done; a darkly comic moment, but laughable
in Roe's characterisation. Strong acting from Helen Matravers, Iain Fitzgerald
and within-auditorium Dot Smith – although I think that both phone
conversations should be performed live, because the recording felt very out of
place.
An
intriguing concept brilliantly written by Catherine Lucie, and after this
little gem, I believe the PNPA festival at Etcetera Theatre has a lot more
treasures to uncover.
This production was part of the PNPA festival which runs throughout January.
For more information: http://www.etceteratheatre.com/index.php?id=2
@EtceteraTheatre @ImpFaceTheatre
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