Posts with the label Louise Jameson
Showing posts with label Louise Jameson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Louise Jameson. Show all posts
Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Vincent River, Trafalgar Studios | Review
Vincent River
Trafalgar Studios
Reviewed on Tuesday 21st May 2019 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
Vincent River written by Philip Ridley is a thought-provoking, highly-moving play which focusses on hate crime in the LGBTQ+ community whilst delicately and truthfully studying grief. Premiering almost 20 years ago, it's striking how relevant this play remains.
A teenage boy dressed in all black with an eye the colour of coal to match it turns up at a grieving mother's flat. Davey has been following Anita for weeks from a distance. But she's spotted him. He's the boy who discovered her son's dead body. She welcomes him in and it's clear the pair have a lot to discuss.
Ridley's fast-paced text allows both actors to bounce off one another, whilst embodying their own sense of ambivalence. Louise Jameson is a master of nuance. The wrenching emotions within her are delicately contrasted by her motherly figure as she supports Davey and his own struggle. Her raw grief and guilt is portrayed in an utterly truthful way which makes this already devastating story, even more traumatic.
With his South London accent, Thomas Mahy is both commanding and vulnerable. His evident denial is portrayed in a very different way to Jameson which makes the pair's discussions even more striking as the balance tips between them.
Robert Chevara directs a supremely subtle show which emphasises humour as well as horror. Ridley's writing moves from poetic to brutal as if they're entwined together and creates a play which enthralls throughout.
This is a devastatingly beautiful play which is performed so well by two nuanced actors. Fast paced, aggressive sections are perfectly contrasted by moments of unspoken emotion which cut to the core and evoke feelings of heart-break but also glimmers of hope.
Vincent River runs at Trafalgar Studios until June 22nd
photo credit: Scott Rylander
Saturday, 24 March 2018
Vincent River, Park Theatre | Review
Vincent River
Park Theatre
Reviewed on Friday 23rd March 2018 by Nicola Louise
★★★★
Hate crimes are unfortunately, still prevalent in the LGBTQ+ community; Vincent River portrays the aftermath of these horrific events.
Set in a flat in East London, the play centers around two characters, Anita and Davey. At first it’s quite hard to establish the connection the two share but that just adds to the emotions of both people on stage.
Anita (Louise Jameson), a grieving mother who lost her child, Vincent, in an awful way. He was found beaten and dead in a hot spot known for gay activities. Anita hides her hurt well, clearly in denial. She also attempts to hide the fact her child was gay, something she didn't want to face during or after his life.
Davey (Thomas Mahy) is the character who walks into Anita’s life- he was the one who found Vincent. When this comes into light Anita wants to know more. She want’s to know what he was doing there and how he came across her child’s body.
The show will take you on an emotional journey and I struggled to keep my tears in at various points.
Both actors portrayed the emotions of love and hate very well and by the end I found myself just wanting them to be friends and to bond over the loss they both endured.
My only issue with this show is with the character Davey. I felt the director and the actor tried so hard to stereotype young men in East London, down from the way he spoke to the way he acted when Anita asked him questions. His anger is justified but there were a couple of lines where I was left wondering why he burst out into anger like that.
Vincent River, written by Phillip Ridley is a new and refreshing play focusing on the plight of hate crime on the LGBTQ+ community and it’s an eye opening, emotional piece of theatre. At only 80 minutes long you don’t find yourself looking at your watch, you’re hooked on every word the actor is saying, wanting to know more, wanting to see how the story unravels.
Vincent River is at the Park Theatre until the 14th April.
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