Random

Published Wednesday 12 March 2008 at 17:50 by Evelyn Curlet

At first glance this may appear a mere slip of a play - a one-woman show running at just 50 minutes. But make no mistake, this is a powerhouse of a production. The electric combination of Debbie Tucker Green’s script with Nadine Marshall’s performance sees to it that this production never fails to capitalise on the profound impact that the best of live theatre can deliver.

Green’s script is masterly. Taut and sparing, it yet retains an attention to detail that conjures up the entirety of the play’s world - a day in the life of a black London family - from the household’s dynamics and decor to the local geography and rhythms of the day. Rhythm is a potent factor in the writing. Fluid and lyrical, Green is able to both capture the particular inflections of each character and forge a whole that maintains a coherent beat.

Essentially four interspersing monologues, the production would flounder without a skilled actress capable of making Sister, Brother, Mother, Father distinct characters. Here Nadine Marshall triumphs, capturing each personality in an instant as she flits between their day. She evokes the impatience of Sister, Brother’s laid-back posturing, Mother’s mild irritation and Father’s silent solidity with winning clarity.

With such a strongly drawn family, it is no surprise that the audience laughs along at the typical patterns of family life - the boisterous teenager, the harried young woman, their affectionate rebellions against protective parenting. It is a result of this empathy that the unexpected loss is felt so strongly.

In part a reflection on the recent spate of killings of young teenagers on the capital’s streets, this tale of love and loss, seeming order and sudden chaos, is universally potent.