Rating
Ok
A present about PTSD and sexual abuse that by no means fairly makes it over the road.
And Then I’ll Sleep follows the lives of Lorenza (Lily Walker) and Daffodil (Amelia Khalek), two survivors of sexual assault who meet in group remedy and kind a bond over their particular person traumatic experiences. The play explores how PTSD can affect their relationships and private lives.
Primarily set in a gaggle remedy setting, the script is episodic, shifting between varied places and intimate moments from each girls’s lives. While the subject material is heavy, the script avoids totally delving into the emotional depths, feeling surface-level and leaving the viewers wanting a richer understanding of the characters’ human experiences.
The writing by Tasmin Wickremeratne reveals nuance; nevertheless, the textual content looks like it’s in an early stage of improvement, with some moments veering into lyricism that resembles prose quite than dialogue. At its greatest, the dialogue feels trendy and up to date, with comedic moments shining via from Phoebe Ralph as Mari, who shows nice comedic timing. But these small moments we do see recommend she is wildly underused on this piece.
The opening monologue is the standout second. It is heartwrenching and superbly carried out by Walker, seeing her recount how she struggles to brush her enamel, a seemingly mundane job that radiates as an emblem of overwhelming panic attributable to trauma. This recurring theme is a skilfully written and carried out second that units the tone for the piece, although one needs this emotional depth continued all through.
Walker’s efficiency is a standout; it’s intricate and considerate, particularly throughout her solo moments onstage. Khalek’s Daffodil has a robust sense of defiance and standoffishness, which offers a putting distinction to Walker’s puppy-dog-like youthful vulnerability.
The course by Elsie Youngman feels uneven and clunky, breaking the gorgeous arc that Wickremeratne’s script is making an attempt to color; it lacks element, with some moments of readability and revelation being denied the house wanted to successfully land with the characters and their viewers. Blackout after blackout creates an important sense of disconnect, with no hyperlink or movement being afforded, making one suppose that, in its present kind, the piece may be higher as a brief movie, quite than a bit of reside theatre.
It have to be famous that it’s sensible to see an intimacy coordinator (Grace Marshall-Collins) being employed, and one should applaud Working Girls Theatre Company for this forward-thinking transfer, particularly on a script that accommodates such darkish themes. It reveals nice take care of its actors and creates a protected working surroundings.
And Then I’ll Sleep boasts a stellar main efficiency and a script that reveals nice promise, however the total really feel of the piece may do with revisions to permit it to completely realise its emotional potential.
You can learn extra about this present in our interview right here.
Directed by: Elsie Youngman
Written by: Tasmin Wickremeratne
Composed by: Annie Napier
Technician: Jaymee-Leigh Thackray
Intimacy coordinator: Grace Marshall-Collins
Produced by Working Girls Theatre Company
And Then I’ll Sleep performs on the Lion and Unicorn Theatre as a part of the Camden Fringe till Wednesday 13 August.