16.52°C Theatre Editor Paul T. Davies reports from EastWord, a showcase of new writing from playwrights graduating from the Mercury Theatre Playwriting Course.
It’s important that playwrights get their work heard. They need actors to speak them, to portray the emotions within, to assess the rhythm. On 12th August at the Mercury Theatre, seven East of England playwrights had a capacity audience to hear their words and respond to the writers with feedback and thoughts.
All of the pieces have potential to be developed, and the responses will help shape that. Here, then, is less of a review but a consideration of the excerpts, with some comments that may prove helpful.
Burnout – Ellie Hyde
Leo Harper is a bright student from a good family, but the pressures to conform in a world not designed for him threaten to tear his and his family’s world apart. Burnout tells the story of a family lost in the system, and reflects the very real and current crisis in Special Needs Education.
We were shown the opening of the play, featuring a beautiful performance by a young person with special education needs. They know how to behave at a Colchester United football match with Grandad, but cannot cope if the “wrong” meal is suggested on the “wrong” day. Belonging to a different generation, Grandad has entrenched views about what is wrong with his grandson, and I’d be interested to see how his journey develops.
Bitter – Ed Ismail
Mus and wife Fay are childless and not by choice. Struggling with constant reminders of what he can’t have, Mus’s grief turns to anger. Performed by Ed himself, for me this was the standout piece of the evening.
It felt as if it came from a place of real pain, and when Mus makes a decision on a bus ride home, the audience was left with an absolute cliffhanger. We definitely need to hear the rest of this story and how it works either as a solo piece or a duologue.
Demons – Ben SantaMaria
Southend Pride night. Clay, 24, non-binary, queer, is out in demon drag. Dent, a cis queer man in his 60s, saves Clay from being attacked by a drunk thug. Their friendship begins.
The interesting aspect about this piece is the inter-generational experiences of both men, and I’m sure their friendship will lead to them discovering new things about themselves and the different queer spaces they inhabit. The excerpt was a little broad in characterisation, but I’m sure development will lead to more depth.
Enough – Emma Bernard
Debs has been caring full-time for her bedbound mother, Pauline, for almost a year. Debs is exhausted and struggling, but does all she can for her mum. While mentally alert, Pauline cannot move without help and is entirely reliant on Debs – except in her dreams, where music frees her to dance.
This was a tender, beautiful excerpt, simply and effectively staged and wonderfully performed. The dance aspect is theatrical and original, and gives the piece much pathos. I think we would all like to know what Debs dreams of!
Deadlines – Sue Bevan
Cat has carried a secret about her role in her mother’s early death for far too long. Reunited with a past love and accompanying him on his euthanasia journey, she’s persuaded by him to share it with her dad.
We see this scene, and it occurs quite late in the play. It had a strong sense of humour and some great lines, then gave way to excellent emotional context. Of all the excerpts, this felt the most complete, so it would be really interesting to see scenes leading up to it.
Allegation 21 – Fiona Padfield
A court drama, set in a psychiatric hospital, following Lucie’s struggle to protect her son, taking her on a journey from psychosis to sanity. She discovers her greatest enemies are those who promise to protect her.
This piece thrummed with potential, very well performed by the readers – maybe her brother becomes the enemy she fears?
Hopelessly in Love – Giannini Hemmings
Set against the rise of the Lovers Rock music genre, this is the story of Fitzy and Marcia, whose romance brings their families together two decades after they moved to Britain from Jamaica.
The scene we saw featured three male friends discussing Fitzy’s new woman, and, to me, it was authentic in its speech patterns and attitudes, and it felt like there was a bigger story to share, which many of us in the audience want to hear!
Final Thoughts
Overall, an exciting taster of some excellent plays.
