09 Oct 2023
Did Deborah Heath: a) Love Constellations? b) Miss press night as her babysitter was ill? c) Go to the Odyssey instead? d) All of the above, depending on what reality you’re exploring?
“The decisions we do and don’t make, determine which future we have.”
This 2012 play by Nick Payne has received critical acclaim for good reason. It is the love story of unlikely couple Marianne, a physicist, and Roland, a beekeeper. Marianne, is absorbed by the idea of parallel universes and the format of Payne’s script elegantly explores this concept.
In ‘Constellations’, we see the couple’s encounters and relationship milestones played out roughly four times each but with different nuances of expression, leading often to different outcomes.
This was an ambitious experiment because it could lead to audience frustration but the level of expectation put us onside and it is actually very exciting to see what will happen.
I completely understand why director Chris Bramwell chose to stage this special play. He wishes his audience “an intriguing, absorbing and emotional evening” and I can confirm that he achieved this.
The script lends itself particularly well to being performed in the round (actually in this case the pentagon) and the Abbey Theatre studio was the perfect home for it. The actors were able to move freely around the minimalist set with most interactions facing a slightly different angle.
Rarely have I seen a 360 degree performance so well directed and executed. We were never short changed – even the actors’ backs told us how they were feeling!
The cast of two were real life couple Lucy Crick and James Douglas. Both actors simply shone throughout, able to tackle the humour, awkwardness and sadness required of their roles with immense skill.
I particularly enjoyed the ballroom dancing scene (every version of it!) which showed how the actors had complete control of their space and their character’s physicality. This was a masterclass worthy performance from both and I do hope that there were some theatre students in the audience learning from what they saw.
The minimalist staging was entirely appropriate for the play. Black curtains were hung with star strings and the stone effect floor was home only to two multifunctional grey boxes.
The sound design was also simple with space-style synths as we entered and very little else. Without the distractions of pre-determined scenery and sounds, each audience member was able to find their own truth by setting the action in their own imaginations.
I do hope that Chris Bramwell feels he has achieved his vision because I consider this production to be a triumph. It is well-chosen script which has been thoughtfully realised creatively and technically to deliver a show that is both funny and perfectly sad.
There is one week left to catch this sublimely haunting show and I encourage anyone who falls into one or more of the following categories to get a ticket before it is too late. So if you
* Have ever been in a relationship
* Have enjoyed the film “Sliding Doors”
* Are a theatre lover
* Are a theatre student of any level (it presents script, acting and staging gold)
please get a ticket before it is too late. ‘Constellations’ simply is a must-see show and we should thank our lucky stars that it is here in St. Albans!
