Speaking in Tounges

STAG have made a valiant effort in bringing Bovell’s intricate labyrinth to life to kick off their 2010 season. While there were some strong performances, a few inconsistencies in some of the production elements made for an uneven performance.

Speaking in Tongues, by Andrew Bovell, is a challenging and dark piece that delves into the lives of seemingly ordinary people, whose paths cross in ways that you would never suspect.

Consider a range of different and potentially random interactions - spouses embarking on affairs to break free from their routine…neighbours imagining horrific crimes in the middle of the night at the sight of discarded woman’s shoe….past lovers encounter each other at a restaurant….a woman going missing on a road in the middle of nowhere. Bovell has brought these encounters together and crafted a rich story that intertwines both characters and consequences. The play has developed over time, with its origins stemming from two of Bovell’s short plays (Like Whiskey on the Breath of a Drunk you Love and Distant Lights from Dark Places). It has also been adapted to film (Lantana).

There are two big challenges for anyone taking on this script – the first is multimedia. It is a delicate balance to know when it is enough, and when it starts to over-power the piece. There were times when I thought the technical components were used effectively to really create the ‘dreamscape’ that Bovell described, and in contrast others that were either over-done or not used enough. The reality is that every audience member will have a different perspective on this. For me, the use of images to help recall locations became unnecessary and distracting (and confusing – a couple I couldn’t make sense of!). I really wish there had been more use of pre-recorded sound to recall parts of the story as it was re-told – for example, the Doctor’s voice replaying on the answering machine, as the play flashed back and forward to piece together what happened.

The second challenge is the use of simultaneous dialogue. It is used to open the first part of the play and help to set up the somewhat parallel lives of two different couple’s intent on betraying their spouses. I could see the effort and focus of each cast member and the Director, but unfortunately on the night the synchronisation didn’t quite hit the mark. Rather than highlighting the inter-woven nature of the different stories, it showed some of the gaps. It highlighted when lines were dropped and where people were waiting for their cues to regain the natural rhythm of the dialogue. There were moments when it worked perfectly which was fantastic, and I trust that with a few more performances in the season, this natural flow can only strengthen and reflect the incredible effort that the cast and Director have invested.

The STAG space has been transformed for this piece by Tony Leatch and Kris Weber, with an avant-garde production design used to create a dreamscape like state to bring together the different creative elements of the production. Central to the design concept was a stark white stage with colourful set pieces at the centre used to create different levels for the cast. The white screens were used to project images to recall locations and propel the story along. To be honest, I was waiting for this concept to suddenly make sense to me, but that moment of clarity never came. I do commend the bold direction taken by the production team and applaud them for being a little daring in their approach. I would have liked to see some tweaks to the lighting design, with some of the cast only half-lit in key moments.

Kris Weber as Director has brought her passion and vision to the piece, and it is clear that she has been keen to get the chance to direct it for some time. She has brought together a good cast for this challenging piece, and her control of all elements of the production was evident. I thought there were some beautiful moments in the direction that really helped convey her desire to create a dreamscape for the audience, where the intertwining layers of script, multimedia and performance hit the mark.

My key criticism was that I found some of the blocking and movement a little too predictable and repetitive in parts. The movement of the cast seemed restricted - which may have been the intent - but I really wanted them to be able to convey their emotion through more than just their delivery of the lines. There was so much physicality that some of the performances were lacking – this was particularly evident in part one as each of the couples confronted each other over their affairs and in part three as Valerie was reliving the events that led to her disappearance. Given the emotional truths that they were laying bare, I wanted to see some them really cut loose….but their physicality and blocking was closed.

Weber has brought together a strong ensemble of 4 actors to play the multiple roles across the stories. It is a big ask – but a great opportunity – for any actor, and I commend them on the clear commitment and focus that they each had on stage. With such an intimate cast and setting, the key to pulling this show off is to create a believable connection between the characters. While I think the cast started out a bit slow in making these connections really convincing, they all got stronger as the story progressed.

Xavier Ryan played the roles of Leon and Nick, and even at his darkest moments, the audience was with him. His feature monologues really allowed him to delve into the darkest depths, and he successfully kept the audience at ease with his natural and perfectly timed humour when the script allowed for it. For me, Xavier’s performances were the stand-out on the night. Well done.

Emma Cox took on the roles of Jane and Valerie, and while I wasn’t overly compelled by her portrayal of Jane I thought she showed some great vulnerability as Valerie broke down during part three. I did feel for her at the drawn out close of part two, to allow for a speedy costume change for other cast members. It felt odd, but I thought she handled it very well.

Rachel Negus portrayed Sonja and Sarah and brought a natural confidence to each of these roles, showing some promising chemistry with her cast mates. I would have liked to have seen her Sarah played with a little more malevolence – she had the potential to be so much more manipulative than she was, and it think it would have really made the whole climax of the play that much more disturbing. Ben Starick juggled the roles of Pete, Neil and John. He had some great moments as Pete in part one, but for me there was not enough variance between each of these characters for them to be as memorable as the other roles.

Overall I think that the cast and crew have put their heart and soul into this piece, but there are some inconsistencies to be addressed. With another week of performances scheduled, I trust that some of these will be ironed out and wish the cast and crew a successful season.