‘Frozen’ – Theatre Royal Haymarket – Tuesday 10th April 2018 ‘Marcella’ – Season 2 - ITV - Final Episode broadcast Monday 9th April 2018

(Rated 7/5 ) 

So we have 2 lady leads again but this time in 2 different productions – ‘Frozen’ and ‘Marcella’ - yet linked by a single theme hence my writing about them together. And that theme child abuse and murder! Jolly really! Oh and I suppose another link is two supreme actresses who both started out in soaps; Suranne Jones as feisty Karen McDonald in ‘Coronation Street’ and Anna Friel as the ground-breaking lesbian and incest-abuse survivor/challenger Beth Jordache in ‘Brookside’. They are both of a rare breed who do well in soap and then even better when they leave. Rumour is Suranne will be making a return to ‘Corrie’ – maybe they’re concerned about ratings when the demise of Phelan finally comes ;)

Anyway both plays are profoundly horrifying and leave you chilled and stunned. They explore the psychology of abuse – in various forms - on all concerned.

In ‘Frozen’ by Bryony Lavery, Suranne plays the mother of a little girl who has gone missing. Jason Watkins’s character turns out to be her abuser and child murderer. And Nina Sosanya acts as a doctor studying the factors which cause people to abuse. Taking place over a number of years, much of the play is delivered in the form of monologues from each of those 3 – alone on stage communicating as though directly to the audience or we act as witnesses to their processes. We feel intrigued as to whether these three will interact at some point. Suranne’s character fully engages us and with her highly sensitive exceptionally natural emotional range we feel such empathy for her. Jason is excellently creepy and repellent as the abuser – his perversion and motivations feel so real – again excellently performed. It is down to Nina to initially bring us into the play and as time proceeds involve us mentally – we already are emotionally - as she presents her lecture on the psychology of abuse. This involves neuroscience and the impact of abuse, stress and neglect on the human brain. Ultimately we learn what may lead someone to harm someone else. This is powerful naturalistic stuff and presents us with themes of emotional paralysis and the way forgiveness can both help those who have suffered as a result of abuse and as a catalyst for an abuser to reconnect with emotion even feel pain and empathy for their victim.

‘Marcella’ in some contrast has much more of a surreal tone to it and there seems little hope of forgiveness in its stark, brutal scandinoir-type-ness. No surprise as it is written by the outstanding ‘The Bridge’’s writer Hans Rosenfeldt. Whilst Suranne’s character seems to have had a normal down-to-earth life before the loss of her daughter, Anna’s character is a deeply disturbed mother with severe mental health issues. She is just as – if not more – traumatised – even prior to the actions of the piece – than the perpetrators of the crimes she is investigating in her detective work. As such she struggles as a mother whilst we feel the full warmth of mothering from Suranne’s character. However both also show remarkable strength and humanity.

‘Marcella’ raises some interesting, dubious and at times horrific ideas as to how to prevent abuse – no spoilers here so I will say no more! ‘Frozen’ is kinder and more compassionate about it though to what result? Again no spoilers.

Though these both come with an emotional health warning – I would highly recommend both dramas. Enjoy is not the word but they touched me profoundly and I feel I have gained from experiencing them.

A little note on settings – TV is clearly your TV in your own room J The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a wonderful ‘oldy wordly’ classic theatre – with lots of stairs – though I was told of a way to get directly to street level via a back-entrance – and ornate décor. I have enjoyed many masterclasses held there and recommend for students of theatre as well as audience members interested in the theatrical process.

Frozen & Marcella – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2018

‘Mary Stuart’ – Duke of York’s Theatre – Saturday 31st March 2018

(Rated 7/5 ) 

Even as a young child I was fascinated by Elizabeth I and herstory. I’m not sure why. Could it be I had the bizarre luck to grow up in an Elizabethan Manor House during which time I was friends with the spirit of a catholic priest?! Could it be she was also a strawberry blond ;) Or that she was outwardly a powerful woman – a role model – yet who deep down you could romanticise was hugely emotionally intelligent. Being as obsessed with her life’s journey as I have been, I’m sure life experience played a massive part in her life’s decisions. One of those – which she avoided like the plague – has a central role in this adaptation by Robert Icke of the original Friedrich Schiller play. How would she ‘deal with’ her cousin Mary Stuart – Queen of Scots – and the threat she posed to the throne of England?

I saw a review of this which had the headline ‘Electrifying’. I completely agree! If I may I would extend it to ‘Extraordinary Electrifyingly Emotionally Engaging Exciting Escapade to Who/How Evolves into Elizabeth I’ ;) And the Who is fascinating on a number of levels. The female leads – Lia Williams and Juliet Stevenson – appear on stage in exactly the same costume – black velour trousers and jacket with a flowy white blouse. They bow to each other and one calls ‘Heads’. Between them Leicester – John Light – spins a sovereign and the lady who wins Heads gets to keep hers! In the performance I saw Lia called ‘Heads’ and it came down tails hence she played Mary. Then a quick subtle change in costume – Mary ‘loses’ her jacket, her hair stays ‘softer’ and her blouse out of her trousers, whilst Elizabeth heads off stage and when she returns she has more slicked-back hair, wears her jacket and her blouse is tucked inside the waistband of her trousers. There is so much underlying this and the impact on both women. There but for the ‘grace of God’ go I – who would be Queen and who would stay alive such a chancy business especially at that time – and religion of course another factor – Protestant Elizabeth and Catholic Mary. And who would they each of been if they’d lived the other’s circumstances – as Mary later says in the play – ‘We are the same’. The psychology is so moving and as we know nurture, culture and society play a big part on personality. Both actresses were stunning especially given they only know after that coin toss who they are going to play! I feel I have more of an idea of Elizabeth and felt Juliet channelled her power and emotional struggles perfectly. Lia gave Mary such sensitivity and vulnerability. I read the other way around was equally as good though have a good authority Juliet makes the better Elizabeth.

This play is not just a history. It is part fictionalised. Written as expertly as Shakespeare did his history plays so that you don’t sit there thinking ‘No, that’s wrong’ but rather what a cleverly dramatic idea. In this the two women meet – they never did in real life. And characters such as Leicester play dangerous manipulative games between them. Leicester’s interactions with the ladies and those of Mortimer – Rudi Dharmalingham – involve some seduction and loyalty issues too! It’s all very touchy feely – at times gently and caringly so, at others more forceful even violent. Talbot – Michael Byrne – comes across as a loving father figure to Elizabeth. Burleigh – Elliot Levey – is a younger edgier version of his real life counterpart. I felt immediately drawn to young Davison – David Jonsson Fray – Elizabeth’s manservant who carries the can for her in more ways than one!

The attention to detail is incredible. Lia signing Mary’s name and then Juliet ‘Elizabeth R’ blew me away. And at the end when Mary is stripped to just a white slip whilst Elizabeth is dressed as in the ‘Darnley portrait’ of her we all know so well with whitened face and red wig.

All the relationships in this are charged but of course none more so than that between Elizabeth and Mary. Truly electrifying - brimming with risk, fear, sensitivity, power switches, respect and contempt, love and hate and all in between. And also their relationships with themselves their morals and values – their speeches are packed with conflict and emotion which almost exhausts the audience. The empathy for them is palpable. Of course we also relate to the politics – how to cope with the fickle ‘will of the people’ – how to stay loved?!

After the coin spin result is known the two ladies shake hands. At the curtain call Lia and Juliet kissed. I so wanted to go up and hug them! This has to be right up there in my top 5 favourites – with Chiwetel’s Othello, Peter and Alice, David T’s Hamlet and… can’t remember right now lol! I adore this herstory and this play!

Mary Stuart – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2018