Anatomy of a Suicide

by Alice Birch

seen at the Royal Court Theatre on 29 June 2017

Katie Mitchell directs Hattie Morahan (Carol), Kate O'Flynn (Anna) and Adelle Leonce (Bonnie) with support from seven other actors in multiple roles in this intense study of three generations of women, two of whom commit suicide.

Carol's story starts in 1972 when she is met by her husband just after a failed suicide bid, while Anna's story begins in 1998 when, almost crippled by drug use, she is confronted by a young intern whose hospitality and kindness she has abused. Bonnie, in 2033, is binding up the wounds (self-inflicted?) of Jo, a fisherwoman who is obviously attracted to her.

An Octoroon

by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

seen at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond on 24 June 2017

Ned Bennett directs a cast of eight in this new play freely adapted and commenting on Dion Boucicault's 1859 play The Octoroon, a melodramatic shocker purporting to address the slave question by following the fortunes of an octoroon (one-eighth negro) who nobly forswears her love for the newly arrived inheritor of the plantation on which she has been brought up.

In this version the African-American playwright BJJ (Ken Nwosu) opens proceedings with a monologue about his position on the New York drama scene and his attempt to stage his adaptation with limited resources. This entails him 'whiting up' to play the new master George and the villain M'Closkey, while a white actor (Alistair Toovey) has to 'black up' to play various negro males. The playwright Boucicault (Kevin Trainor) in turn 'reds up' to play a native American, and later as an auctioneer insouciantly announces that he has been sunburnt while carrying out his duties. The female characters (Vivian Oparah, Emmanuella Cole, Cassie Clare, Celeste Dodwell and Iola Evans) are not required to disguise their skin colour.

Tristan & Yseult

by Carl Grose and Anna Maria Murphy

seen at Shakespeare's Globe on 22 June 2017

Emma Rice has adapted and directed the original Kneehigh touring production of Tristan & Yseult for this revival at Shakespeare's Globe, where Dominic Marsh plays Tristan and Hannah Vassallo plays Yseult with support from Mike Shepherd (King Mark), Niall Ashdown (Brangian and Morholt), Kyle Lima (Frocin) and Kirsty Woodward (Whitehands), and various musicians.

It's an eclectic piece, with various songs and ballads of loneliness and difficult love, an occasional use of the opening of Wagner's prelude to establish serious intent, imposing verse speaking from King Mark and a more conversational tone from almost everyone else, modern dress which somehow looks timeless, but sailing ships for transport and only knives and fists for weapons.

Life of Galileo

by Bertolt Brecht translated by John Willett

seen at the Young Vic on 7 June 2017

Joe Wright directs Brendan Cowell as Galileo with a supporting cast of ten in this didactic play concerning the struggle between the scientific mind and the entrenched dogmas of the post-Reformation Catholic church.

Galileo's personality is overwhelming in this play as he exults in his astronomical discoveries and relies on the strength of physical observation of phenomena to underpin the realignment of scientific knowledge. Around him the rich and powerful see only the commercial or entertainment advantages of inventions such as the telescope, rather than its usefulness in discovering shadows on the Moon or moons around Jupiter. His disciples are impressed, his family exasperated, his patrons largely boorish, and the church prelates who happen to be intellectual only dabble in his enthusiasms. Even the Barberini pope, taken to be an ally when he is a cardinal, succumbs to prudential arguments and allows Galileo to be intimidated into silence.