13.74°C Paul T. Davies reviews There’s a Light and a Whistle for Attracting Attention at the Mercury Studio Theatre.
A strong piece, the title referring to the methods used at sea to call for help. We watch a relationship breaking down in front of us, with all-too-familiar and distressing scenes of coercive control. Written and performed by Henri Merriman, its strength is that it avoids stereotypes, and as the play progresses, we begin to question whether she is a reliable narrator. Does she have a drinking problem? Is her counsellor right about her behaviour patterns? We only have her word for it in a multi-layered text, very well performed by Merriman.
It’s not strictly a solo piece. Her partner is a voice over, very effective in its criticisms and sarcasms, friends are voiced via a microphone, and a major character is Shahaf Beer’s inventive chest of drawers set, in which props, scenery and characters are created in perfect synergy with the performer. It’s beautiful and keeps the audience engaged throughout the running time. The script, in the main, is a very clear-eyed view of a relationship breakdown, its forensic nature contrasting with some beautiful, poetic sequences.
It doesn’t travel a too-well-worn path either, the ending not what we expect for her. However, the impact lessens a little, the conclusion being told in the style of folklore, lyrical and full of nature and survival. Beautiful as it is, I felt it took away some of the strength as a survivor, placing her among a slightly too romantic idyll. However, that doesn’t take anything away from a powerful performance, and it’s great to see that the show was signed, too.
