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At best, Madwomen of the West is dull and unnecessary. At worst, it's mildly offensive and immensely frustrating. Summary
Rating
Poor
Claudia, Jules, Marilyn and Zoe: the girl gang is back together. But oh, how I wish they weren’t.
In Sandra Tsing Loh’s dramedy, The Madwomen of the West, four friends reunite to celebrate a birthday. As they reminisce over old times, frictions (old and new, political and personal) begin to rise – and the sisterhood starts to crumble.
Good things first: it’s nice to see four older actors getting some proper stage time. We don’t often see more mature casts given this kind of space, so Madwomen’s bucking of the trend has to be a positive thing. Unfortunately, this is where the ‘good news’ section begins and ends.
Madwomen’s plot is simultaneously sparse and haphazard, with nothing of any real consequence happening in its full, two-hour run. The only real ‘events’ sit uncomfortably in a sea of narrative-nothingness, eventually forcing Zoey (Marilu Henner) to act as a bizarre deus ex machina of sorts. Swinging into her gal pal’s living room, she delivers a series of life-changing gifts – only to later reveal that she is in dire financial straits herself, having recently converted her life’s savings to bitcoin. For one fleeting moment, we think that Marilyn (Caroline Aaron) might be poised to drag the narrative back on track as she announces before intermission that she has just shot her husband. Gasp! But alas, the gun is a BB, the target a leg, and the only death that of her marriage. And so, on we go.
The humour promised is also almost entirely absent. Sing Loh’s gags are mistimed and misled. There’s one about anorexia (yikes); a few tired quips about ageing (“Another year older…”, sighs Claudia. “Beats the alternative!”, Jules responds); and a significant number of Gen Z jabs (yawn).
As the show barrels headfirst into one of its pivotal conflicts, I feel myself sinking lower into my seat. The four women start to discuss trans rights, and just how exhausting they find it to live in a world where things are changing so.darn.quickly. I sink a little more. The conversation gains a little bit more nuance after we learn that Claudia’s child is non-binary and planning to undergo top surgery in the fall. But the topic is still clumsily handled, in such a way that seems to suggest we should feel empathy for the women on stage and their quibbles with these so-called ‘changing times’. “This is what we fought for?” Marilyn yells, bemoaning the fact that (supposedly) the women who fought for the right to be heard now feel afraid to lend their voices to certain topics. I’m aware that the show is, to a certain extent, playing devil’s advocate – prodding its audience members and seeing if they’ll bite. But I just don’t want to play ball. Not like that.
At worst, Madwomen is dated, mildly offensive and immensely frustrating. At best, it’s dull and unnecessary. As it finally reaches its close and we are released from the auditorium, I scratch the words “Who is this FOR???” into my notebook. I don’t yet have an answer – but it’s certainly not for me.
Written by: Sandra Tsing Loh
Produced by: Chromolume Productions
Directed by: Racky Plews
Madwomen of the West plays at Riverside Studios until 24 August. Further information and tickets available here.
