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Origin of the Species

Published Tuesday 3 November 2009 at 10:00 by Sally Stott

Through the tale of a female archaeologist’s relationship with a prehistoric woman, Bryony Lavery injects the evolution of humankind with the sparky appeal of an Alan Bennett kitchen-sink drama. The result is a funny, touching and refreshingly surreal look at our shared history, told with enough heart to draw in even those who are sceptical about the science/drama theatrical hybrid - an increasingly popular genre in 2009, Darwin’s 150th anniversary year and an occasion that has clearly motivated this UK revival.

Aging historian Molly is effortlessly portrayed by the engagingly down-to-earth Marjorie Yates, while Clare Hope Ashitey’s depiction of time-travelling Victoria is charming and humorous. Meanwhile, designer Victoria Johnson creates an intimate and magical setting, beautifully realising Molly’s ramshackle home and all its secrets.

Although scientific information never threatens to compromise the drama, Lavery blurs together fact and fiction in a way that somewhat undermines the piece as the educational vessel it sometimes paints itself as. Women discovered fire, we are told, which may fit in well with the play’s feminist undertones, but this is something that is currently unknown.

Towards the end, half-developed themes and metaphors overshadow the story, so much so that it is unclear whether Victoria has ‘evolved’ to live her own life or merely wandered off somewhere. The characters’ underlying conflicts never fully reach fruition, but the play’s relish of our shared history is infectious and it’s impossible not to connect with a story that so clearly relates to all of us.

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