Me
and My Friend
On
in 5 Productions
Llanover
Hall Arts Centre
26th
September 2014
On in 5 are a brand new theatre company set up by actor
and producer, Philippa Burt. The company aims to bring shows that people have
not heard of or seen before to the stage, allowing audiences to be surprised by
works they don’t already know the ending of.
Their first outing is Gillian Plowman’s Me and My Friend, a tragicomic farce
about four people who have recently spent some time in a psychiatric hospital and
are now trying to live ‘normal’ lives. The men, Oz and Bunny, live downstairs,
whilst the girls, Robin and Julia, live in the flat above. The flats are
council owned but this seems to be the only support the two couples get. They
appear to have been abandoned by the people who previously cared for them and
none of them have any family to oversee their wellbeing.
Very much a situation comedy, there are moments of humour
such as the pretend interview between Oz and Bunny, in which Oz plays the role
of a bicycle shop owner who sees fit to interrogate Bunny for the role of a
sales assistant. This idea of role play is continued throughout the piece and
it is often difficult to discern whether we are seeing flashbacks, imaginings
or real exchanges between the characters. This adds an interesting element of
disorientation that causes us to question the reality the characters believe
in.
The production is admirably raising money for mental
health charity Mind. Sadly the show itself, having been premiered in 1990,
expresses some very out of date and at times insensitive attitudes towards
those with mental health diagnoses. The characters are all stereotypes and this
encourages melodramatic performances at the critical moments that are unbelievable
and forced. Although it is clearly a well constructed farce it does little to encourage
conversation about the often taboo subject of mental health.
Looking towards the future On in 5 hope to produce 2 to 3
shows a year, each one supporting a local charity. Hopefully future shows will
be a little better thought out and will act to bring more awareness and
understanding to the issues their productions cover. It will be interesting to
see what play they unearth next.
Me
and My Friend will continue at The Gate, 2nd-4th October
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