Urine and boiled cabbage
Lynn Freeman
Chalk, Directed by Abigail Greenwood, Bats Theatre. Reviewed by Lynn Freeman
ISLA Adamson and Josephine Stewart-Tewhiu are an impressive double act. What is so delicious about them is their genius storytelling and their keen observational skills bringing us people we can recognise and relate to on stage. Both actors change characters in less than the blink of an eye, so we get, in this case, a whole resthome full of inmates, visitors and staff.
Resthomes offer wonderful potential drama. In Chalk, we have some residents of Shady Meadows desperate to break out, some on death’s door, some hounded by money grubbing relations and others feeling dumped and forgotten.
With a minimum of props, Stewart-Tewhiu and Adamson take us inside the home, you can just about smell the urine and boiled cabbage, and you can certainly sense the frustration and helplessness. But not all is lost, some of the residents hold on to their spirit and their memories, and Chalk reminds us our elders have much to teach us.
Abigail Greenwood’s direction is spot on, and there are exquisite touches where puppetry and music are used to enhance an already unforgettable night at the theatre.
ISLA Adamson and Josephine Stewart-Tewhiu are an impressive double act. What is so delicious about them is their genius storytelling and their keen observational skills bringing us people we can recognise and relate to on stage. Both actors change characters in less than the blink of an eye, so we get, in this case, a whole resthome full of inmates, visitors and staff.
Resthomes offer wonderful potential drama. In Chalk, we have some residents of Shady Meadows desperate to break out, some on death’s door, some hounded by money grubbing relations and others feeling dumped and forgotten.
With a minimum of props, Stewart-Tewhiu and Adamson take us inside the home, you can just about smell the urine and boiled cabbage, and you can certainly sense the frustration and helplessness. But not all is lost, some of the residents hold on to their spirit and their memories, and Chalk reminds us our elders have much to teach us.
Abigail Greenwood’s direction is spot on, and there are exquisite touches where puppetry and music are used to enhance an already unforgettable night at the theatre.
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