TRANSGRESSION
White Bear Theatre
16th to 27th Jan 2024
“It’s the 1990s and the societal revolution to smash the nuclear family is on the horizon. A psychoanalyst battles against the demise of established traditions, while younger women debate pregnancy and the relevance of a father’s name on a birth certificate. It’s all an uphill campaign to rattle the patriarchy until a father and son face the unthinkable. When the dust settles a new birth order awaits future generations.Transgression by Loretta Monaco, directed by Bryan Oliver, is a ferociously funny play.”
Review by Richard Lambert, 2 Stars
A fantastic performance from Abigail Moore. Her acting skills are second to none with a first rate portrayal of a woman somehow holding it all together while her World is falling apart.
The plot has something underneath it all but the script often bottoms out by reporting after the event rather than showing the issues head-on. If would have been interesting to go on the journey with the actors and to let the drama unfold on stage. A huge opportunity for powerful theatre swept under the carpet by just employing a conversation between two actors, of the event, after the event’s happened.
Directed so each scene goes to blackout, then the audience wait for the actors to clear the stage, then the next actors come on-stage, then lights come up for the scene to commence. This has to be the most pedestrian staging you could ever apply to a production.
The lighting only works while the cast are seated. As soon as they stand their bodies are lit but their faces are in the dark. A shabby looking dismal set is supposed to provide for multiple different flats – from the affluent psychotherapists office to a student flat. Some of the sound cues just snap off, even in the middle of a thunder clap, rather than a transition between the effects as the scene transitions.
Bruce Allinson gives a solid performance as the therapist’s son but sadly has been given limited staging. Standing on the spot for several scenes next to his fellow actor, also stood on the spot, saying their lines out to the distant horizon. Perhaps the director ran out of time putting the show together? Or did it just run out of ideas?
This production is billed as “ferociously funny” but it didn’t feel like a comedy and rather felt like a workshop performance. With development and a different production team it would have legs.
Cast:Bruce AllinsonAlexandra EtudorZara HadeshianJonathan HanslerAbigail Moore
Carnyx Production presentsTransgressionby Loretta MonacoDirected by Bryan Oliver16th – 27th January 2024White Bear Theatre138 Kennington Park RoadLONDONSE11 4DJPerformance TimesTue – Sat | 7:30pm Running Time: 90mins with 15min IntervalTickets:£17 Standard£13 ConcessionsConcessions are only accepted for pensioners, the unemployed, students, and under 16s.