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Telling a round about tale
Circles
Birmingham Rep Door
***** Rachel De-lahay is an exceptionally
talented and compelling new writer, who, at the age of 29 has already
won an clutch of prestigious awards including the Writers Guild Award
for best play in 2012 and the Alfred Fagan award in 2011 for her first
play The Westbridge. Handsworth born De-lahay was Birmingham Rep’s Perason Playwright in Residence last year and this year the Door premieres her new play, Circles. A strikingly vivid story set on the infamous route of the number Eleven bus, something that De-lahay and indeed of which the rest of Birmingham should be immensely proud. The bold set designed by Bob Bailey is as
striking as De-lahay’s script, making the breathtakingly raw plot seem
even more profound. The sharp and scratched plastic surroundings that
many of us are so accustomed to see on a daily basis provides the
backdrop of what becomes the isles of the Outer Circle and the lonely
home of Phyllis, creating a strikingly cold insight to a city bursting
with seeming atmosphere. De-lahay’s has a wonderful gift of presenting
severe She presents Three generations of women,
Grandmother Phyllis played by the captivating Jackie Mckenzie who sees
her own daughter and grandchild go through the same harrowing experience
that she herself had to endure in her past of domestic violence. Even though this is not played out on stage, the
frightening references within the script are enough for the audience to
feel the haunting reality of female violence. De-lahay approaches this
tragic reality, sometimes not easy to watch, with a strikingly raw
precision.
Director Tessa Walker tackles the edgy subject
with pure empathy. Scenes between mother Phyllis and Daughter Angela,
portrayed beautifully by Sarah Manners, are at times heart breaking and
Walker captures the essence of the broken relationship of the two women,
a relationship in which the only thing they have in common is their
shared experience of violence from men. Adjacent to the unbelievable pain and
long-lasting sadness, Walker also presents the unique qualities of
Birmingham that no other city has to offer. The cheeky and carefree
attitudes of teenagers Malachi and Demi represent a proud asset of the
individuality of each and every person who make up this city. Walker
made sure that every local reference and witty line injected fun and
fond celebration for the audience to celebrate. The phenomenal cast of four were a sublime asset
to the gritty story. Each gave a distinctive quality to their role that
bought out the emotional plot all the more. This was especially true for
Toyin Kinch, the only male of the cast who played mischievous and
tragically naive teenager Malachi. Kinch added an organic exuberance and
was sure to put a smile on every audience member’s face whenever he
stepped foot on stage. De-lahay hits us hard with a wrenching twist
within the story which causes an excruciatingly emotional end to the
play. London actress Danusia Samal delivers her role as
Demi as if she were a Birmingham native herself. Samal shows great
understanding for the troubled and isolated teenager who takes the
nightly ride on the Outer Circle with a hidden agenda. Samal presents
the guarded and troubled Demi with excellent precision. Janice McKenzie give us an intense account of
Phyllis, a woman pounded by years of grief and endurance. She shows the
hopeless mother of Angela and grandmother to Demi with a truly
mesmerising effect. Daughter Angela played by Sarah Manners was as
equally stunning in performance. An extremely wounded and emotional
character from many events and experiences, Manners captures the sense
of a lost and broken mother that is shockingly painful. Moments between
McKenzie and Manners as mother and daughter are truly harrowing at
times. This is a play that cast, crew, writer and indeed
the rest of the city should be proud of. It is the raw element of
Birmingham that many people are so used to within the city that makes
this play so approachable. Penned by a master of words, this show is a
remarkable statement of a deep subject which was presented with superb
quality. To 24-05-14 Elizabeth Halpin
15-05-14
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topics with deep empathy. Without an interval, the audience are taken
through a experience which definitely caused shortness of breath by the
end of the show.