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When Catherine Shaw is asked to curate an exhibition of female artists, her life and relationships are revealed to be not as staunchly feminist as expected. Summary
Rating
Ok
Writer Mary Swan has certainly done her research. In Indestructible, female artists, their work and their struggles are presented against a backdrop of misogyny that continues into the premise of the play, where a new exhibition is to be curated by Catherine Shaw (Mary Rose).
The facts around the artists are interesting and mainly focus on the work of Lee Miller, whose photographic work was instrumental in changing the views of many, making the Holocaust personal and visceral: Miller’s famous photograph in Hitler’s bathroom being a classic demonstration of her art form. The title of the play is drawn from Man Ray’s metronome piece, initially called Object to be Destroyed and subsequently, when remade several times later, called Indestructible Object. Is this a metaphor for the work of female artists? No matter how hard the patriarchy tries to destroy the will and standing of female artists they are indestructible. It would be good to think so.
However, the information is presented in a range of overlapping vehicles that become repetitive. There is what could be a TED talk, a game show, a one-sided TV interview, all interspersed with verbose dialogue verging on didactic lecturing about the proposed exhibition and the role of female artists. The information around the exhibition (who is going to be included, who can provide new works, new and emerging artists) is a recurring theme. The relationship between Shaw and her agent Robin (Paul Huntley-Thomas) feels shallow and one sided, he only really interested in the money and Shaw, if not oblivious then resigned to the situation of at least having her studio paid for.
But at what cost? It becomes clear towards the end of the rather endless toing and froing that they’ve had a sexual relationship, and perhaps it is this that misguidedly persuades her to lie for him and provide an alibi while he is abusing an artist whose work is to be hung in the exhibition. Surprisingly, Shaw defends Robin and, it seems, reluctantly agrees to have work of hers that is owned by him removed from the exhibition. The removal of these pieces, like all works of art that are ‘banned’, probably increases their value: is this just an inadvertent outcome?
The use of visual media and artificial intelligence in the play manages to bring some interest and breaks up the rather heavy-handed dialogue. However, the separate themes might be better served by two different plays, rather than trying to cram everything into one two hour sitting. Directing one’s own work can sometimes lead to becoming wedded to certain ‘important’ ideas and messages that in other hands would be pruned and made more impactful.
The actors (Rose, Huntley-Thomas and Danny Charles as Christian the exhibition organiser) do their best but don’t seem to inhabit the characters. Olivia Egbunike’s visual media projection of Julia Rodriguez is interesting but slightly underplayed. The cast are not helped however by a very low audience turn out which may have affected them, which is a shame, as the Clapham Omnibus is a super theatre.
Written and Directed by: Mary Swan
Produced by: Proteus Theatre Company
Playing at the Clapham Omnibus until Saturday 3 February.
Further information and bookings can be found here.
