Post by mkb on Jun 14, 2022 16:23:28 GMT
The short tour of Maggie May ended at the Leicester Curve Studio last week, following runs in Leeds and Hornchurch, having been postponed by the Covid pandemic. It's a pity it hasn't had greater recognition and exposure, for while being "worthy", it's also a fine piece of theatre.
It is unusual for dramas that deal with mental illness to do so in ways that are entirely realistic, but playwright Frances Poet succeeds. Two hours in the company of her protagonist, Maggie, brilliantly captured by Eithne Browne who is rarely off stage, is a journey where we experience all the pain and despair of that central character as she comes to terms with dealing with her loss of self. If that sounds grim, it is, but it's also deeply uplifting. I cried a lot. There is strong support from the rest of the cast of five, particularly from Shireen Farkhoy as the young Claire, girlfriend of Maggie's son.
The characters sing pop songs to each other on occasion, but this is part of the narrative. It is most definitely a play rather than a musical.
Because of the work my husband does in old-age mental health, I was already well aware of the issues raised. Otherwise, it would be fair to say that Maggie May is insightful and educational.
Some things I didn't like:
- An early start time, which probably explains why most of the audience were past working age.
- As part of making all performances "dementia-friendly", house lights were left on at a low level throughout. I'm not sure this was necessary given the ambient light from the stage in the small auditorium, and detracted the focus from the stage.
- As the cast were not mic'd, the sound engineer had only one job, and that was to provide the backing music when the cast sang. This was done terribly. While the vocals came from directly in front, the music played out in poor quality from a speaker to my left.
Four stars.
Act 1: 19:17-20:19
Act 2: 20:40-21:38
It is unusual for dramas that deal with mental illness to do so in ways that are entirely realistic, but playwright Frances Poet succeeds. Two hours in the company of her protagonist, Maggie, brilliantly captured by Eithne Browne who is rarely off stage, is a journey where we experience all the pain and despair of that central character as she comes to terms with dealing with her loss of self. If that sounds grim, it is, but it's also deeply uplifting. I cried a lot. There is strong support from the rest of the cast of five, particularly from Shireen Farkhoy as the young Claire, girlfriend of Maggie's son.
The characters sing pop songs to each other on occasion, but this is part of the narrative. It is most definitely a play rather than a musical.
Because of the work my husband does in old-age mental health, I was already well aware of the issues raised. Otherwise, it would be fair to say that Maggie May is insightful and educational.
Some things I didn't like:
- An early start time, which probably explains why most of the audience were past working age.
- As part of making all performances "dementia-friendly", house lights were left on at a low level throughout. I'm not sure this was necessary given the ambient light from the stage in the small auditorium, and detracted the focus from the stage.
- As the cast were not mic'd, the sound engineer had only one job, and that was to provide the backing music when the cast sang. This was done terribly. While the vocals came from directly in front, the music played out in poor quality from a speaker to my left.
Four stars.
Act 1: 19:17-20:19
Act 2: 20:40-21:38