F E S T I VA L T H E AT R E | Reviews
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UNTIL THE FLOOD Vital drama interrogates the insidious nature of racism ●●●●●
Framed around the tragic real-life shooting of teenager Michael Brown in Missouri in 2014, writer and performer Dael Orlandersmith's script really resonates, particularly as President Trump’s recent words on Twitter telling certain people to ‘go back’ – his riposte to four Democrat Congresswomen of colour who dared to challenge his majesty – still hang in the air. Such words of division and hate seem impossible to scrub off, and this production wants to interrogate the climate that can propel a man holding such opinions to the POTUS.
Orlandersmith embodies not just one, but seven characters,
whose testimonies are genuine (recorded in the aftermath of Brown’s shooting). All respond to his death in their own individual ways, whether compassionate, sorrowful or merely scornful. Orlandersmith knows that words have weight, and her ear for
the cadences of language is superb. She even emulates the ‘swag’ and ‘flow’ of Hussan, a teenage wannabe rapper, by lowering both her voice and shoulders, adding a dramatic physicality to the monologue format. It’s a masterful performance, with words of savagery spat out like bullets, and contrasting moments of tender understanding providing perspective. The play asks how a community can heal in the wake of tragedy.
By using a plethora of disparate voices, Orlandersmith suggests that human resilience and understanding lies in education and her poetic epilogue is a plea for looking at what binds, not separates, a community when hope seems lost.
In the midst of the candles and floral tributes on the floor is the graduation photograph of Michael Brown, smiling and anticipating a future which he was so unjustly denied. Until The Flood is a bold, moving and timely tribute. (Lorna Irvine) n Traverse, until 25 Aug (not 19), times vary, £21 (£15.50).
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FOUR WOKE BAES Witty, honest comedy of self-discovery ●●●●● BAIT: KILL THE PRINCESS Finding a happy ending ●●●●●
PARADISE LODGE Musical tales from the group home ●●●●●
From established American playwright Jonathan Caren, Four Woke Baes is a dark comedy about four unassuming men having their doctrines on monogamy challenged while on a secluded camping trip in Colorado. The trip is to celebrate Dez’s bachelor party, but they are irked by a female camper who sparks conversations about the legitimacy of love, marriage and monogamy in the 21st century. Despite a well-crafted script that examines a series of relevant contemporary themes, it seems to resolve its tensions too early. There’s strong comic timing and fast-paced delivery
from the cast., but the claustrophobic setting – the action never wanders outside of the campsite – focuses attention on their characters and it’s difficult to empathise with such clearly flawed individuals. Equally, the journey of self-discovery for white males is a path well-trodden, and the philosophical debates are undermined by its familiarity.
Neatly framed by two monologues from Dez, Four Woke Baes summarises the path to woke and asks the audience to follow – it’s an ambitious invitation after a play featuring characters who are so difficult to relate to. (Rachel Baker) n Underbelly Cowgate, until 25 Aug, 5.05pm, £11.50–£12.50 (£10.50–£11.50).
82 THE LIST FESTIVAL 14–26 Aug 2019
In the modest space of the Spiegelyurt, two women are smashing the patriarchy. Kill the Princess is a hilarious and unpredictable venture that tackles every fairy tale trope, examines the intricacies of female agency and reclaims the power of female storytelling. If this all sounds a bit serious, it absolutely is not: in one scene, performers Michelle Madsen and Lizzy Shakespeare ransack a dressing-up box until one shoves a feather duster down her shorts and proclaims herself the prince; in another, they transform into old crones and outrageously flirt with everyone in the tent. Despite the audience interaction, there’s a sense that Madsen and Shakespeare are not really playing to anyone else’s expectations but their own; although this can lead to a confused narrative structure, it also gives the play a levity and charming assurance.
This assurance is particularly striking in the moments when the play connects the archaism of fairy tales with broader and continuing systems of gendered oppression. As thoroughly absurd and inventive as Kill the Princess is, these moments offer an unexpected profundity and intimacy that speak to the power of feminist rewriting. (Anahit Behrooz) n Heroes @ The SpiegelYurt, until 25 Aug (not 17, 21), 3.40pm, £5 in advance or donations at venue.
Despite an unassuming premise – a duo perform nostalgic hits to an audience of senior citizens in a palliative care home – and a dark undercurrent of unfulfilled ambitions and frustrations, Paradise Lodge manages to be both charming and thoughtful. Examining questions of dementia and later life care, Doodlebugs’ production is a bracing journey that never panders to sentimentality. Framing the show as the first gig by a new musical
duo allows the company to roam around the stories of various patients. Across a series of short episodes, the people in the home lose their health, independence and memories while the musicians bicker and compete for attention. Steve Cooper and Sophie Osborne excel as they
jump between depicting the musicians, Eric and Kylie, and the patients and their families, lending a bravura edge to their understated portrayals of emotional longing and ill-health’s frustrations. The tone is gentle but slowly exposes the horrors of old age. The tension between Eric and Kylie finds resolution, but not before a sad secret is revealed. There is a warmth and compassion at the heart of this script and the performance itself. (Gareth K Vile) n Underbelly Bristo Square, until 26 Aug, 1.15pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).