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Bucket List ★★★★
Birmingham Rep
Thursday 20th April 2017
We
found ourselves in Birmingham for the first time since
the 90s and the place is having a make over. It was always a canny place to
visit but it now is getting a clean up too. The Rep was renovated in 2013 and
is now connected to a library which looks like a giant wedding cake - at least
it is easy to spot.
As
with a visit to any new theatre there is a tendency for us to comment about the
building and this is no different. The staff were all very polite. There were
bag searches before entry into The Door (a 140 capacity studio venue) at this
matinee performance. I noted blue lighting in the gents too. Perhaps this venue
isn’t as calm as it was on a Thursday afternoon? The other odd thing was the
annoying “shushing” sound from a number of the audience as the lights went down
when no one was actually talking. Perhaps theatre protocols differ from town to
town? Still, the Rep is a nice venue to see theatre
On to the play itself. Bucket List was written and directed by Nir
Paldi and was first performed in Edinburgh in 2016. It
is a powerful drama looking at the effects on the low paid Mexican workers and
the awful ways in which protest is suppressed. It is certainly strong stuff for
a age recommendation of 14+ as police attack, murder and rape victims of a
cruel system.
Bill Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico with the
principal that, as Mexicans spend $450 on American goods a year, it should
create American jobs. What actually happened is that many companies across the
globe took advantage of the lack of worker’s rights in Mexico and set up Maquiladoras - assembly factories.
Maria (Deborah Pugh) is sick of both the treatment of workers and
the pollution in the local river. She has been threatened with murder if she
continues to protest and she tries to persuade her daughter Milagros (Tamsin
Clarke) to be careful as she plays outside. Matters become more serious when work
colleague Teresa (Charlotte Dubery) decides to go to the police to report that
she is raped by Silva (Shamira Turner), the factory manager. Her severed head
is discovered by the children as they play outside.
The set is very simple. A curtain made of plastic strips, like
those found in a factory separates the action on stage with some atrocities off
stage. All objects, including severed heads and chess sets, are invisible -
relying entirely on the descriptive powers of the actors and the imaginations
of the audience. Whilst Tamsin Clarke remains as Milagros, the central
character, the other 5 actors have to perform multiple roles. This works well
and is not confusing as the script makes each situation perfectly clear. There
is some interesting movement by the cast from movement director George Mann.
The production is well cast as each member of the ensemble does
well to keep the pace going. The writing is sharp and leaves the audience thinking
about the issues discussed. BY not going for easy shots Nir Paldi’s piece is a
good afternoon’s entertainment too. Well worth seeing.
Review by Stephen Oliver
Tour
website: http://www.theatreadinfinitum.co.uk/
Remaining Tour Dates:
21 Apr | Paint the Town Festival, MedwayVenue, Times and Prices TBC | www.paintthetownfestival.co.uk
24 Apr | The Space, Sevenoaks School Performing Arts Centre
The Lodge Sevenoaks School, High St, Sevenoaks TN13 1HU | Times and Prices TBC | www.thespacesevenoaks.co.uk/home/ | 01732 467765
25 Apr | The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS | 8pm | £12.50 (£11.50 concs) | www.marlowetheatre.com | 01227 787 787
26 – 27 Apr | The Lowry, Salford Quays
Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ | 8pm | £16.50 – £14.50
www.thelowry.com | 0843 208 6010
28 – 29 Apr | Looping the Loop Festival, Thanet
Venue, Times and Prices TBC | www.loopingtheloopfestival.org.uk
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