The Room continues at PQA Venues @ Riddle’s Court until 26 August 2019.
Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
This is such a brave production on every level. Very simply staged, Louise Thomas gives a compelling performance as ‘The Girl’ in this solo musical. Sung through, with off-stage keyboard accompanist (Alexander Abbott – also composer) this show relies heavily on the audience’s response to The Girl.
The story of the protagonist is revealed slowly – one layer at a time. Often fragmented, there is a dream-like quality in that the memory and re-telling of a dream is often halting, breaking, needing to be reviewed to find out where something changed. The narrative is often surreal but the intensity of Thomas’ performance keeps the audience onside and wanting to solve this puzzle of often unrelated clues.
The heart of the piece is based on her relationship with her father. And not in a good way. From the almost sickly sweetness of recounting ‘Daddy’ we can hear hints at something unhealthy underneath. There are musical clues that all is not well.
Without giving away the plot entirely (something the company is at pains to preserve) The Room is a darkly moving piece of theatre that escapes being oratorio in nature down to the fine performance.
Fiona Orr
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