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A strikingly human, thought-provoking study of a working-class family, delving into the effects of the UK’s justice system and generational cycles. Summary
Rating
Excellent
In the Shadow of Her Majesty opens with Riley (Lois Tallulah, also writer and co-director), directly addressing the audience. Immediately a likable and genuine character, Riley’s prelude urges us to not judge her family too harshly, and to laugh along with them when they do, because ‘if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry, right?’. Nicole Dinucci’s detailed open plan living room/ kitchen set, coupled with Tallulah’s down to earth script, creates a feeling of familiarity. I felt immersed within this family’s world almost instantly.
It is Christmas time in 2020, lockdown is in full effect. Doreen (Alice Selwyn) and her three daughters live opposite the looming walls of HMP Pentonville. Riley is charismatic, bold and doing her best given her circumstances, Gemma (Nancy Brabin-Platt) is sarcastic and blunt, while Jorja (Ella Harding), just 15 years old, pines for her father (whom she sees through rose-coloured glasses), an inmate at Pentonville. Doreen has a drinking habit, fuelled by her troubled past and previous abusive at the hands of Jorja’s father. Selwyn portrays Doreen’s complexities beautifully, from humorous drunken antics with her long-time best friend Trish (Jennifer Joseph, who offers memorable line deliveries) to heartbreaking moments of sober reflection on where life has taken her.
Clearly, the subject matter is close to Tallulah’s heart. The script approaches the characters’ choices with a sense of understanding and sympathy, as do the cast in their respective roles. The writing is slick and witty from the outset and is served well by the all-female cast, which offers a humanity and rawness that makes these characters believable, supported by excellent direction. Nadia Lamin’s Jamila, a pregnant woman whose husband serves a sentence in the prison, is a highlight amongst the family chaos and conflict.
This play faces the family’s issues head on, even if some of the characters shy away from them; sexual manipulation, exploitation and abuse, drugs and alcohol. The walls of the prison have a presence in this family home, with each character viewing them differently. Jorja sees hope and a future with her father, Riley laments that the father of her child, Gary, will soon be there too, whereas Gemma is grateful that those walls separate them from Jorja’s abusive father.
Clever staging helps the piece to flow nicely, and the detailed direction shines through, especially in the scenes where conflict occurs. Co-directors Isla Jackson-Ritchie and Tallulah have cultivated an energetic chemistry between the actors on stage that is rich with the shared history alluded to in the script. They have elicited performances from the actors that fully establish the family dynamic. Each actor understands their character’s past and present and the nature of their relationship with each other (a highlight is how real the sibling arguments feel). Throughout, a tension bubbles beneath the surface, coming to a head as Gemma learns that Jorja’s father is to be released from prison early. This sends the family reeling as Christmas Day arrives. Secrets are revealed as we reach the climax, which is excellently acted all round. The energy, however, does dip slightly towards the close, disrupting the established pacing and tension.
The heavy themes throughout are handled carefully and sometimes with humour (making Riley’s opening words so apt). Their lives are a product of their environment and circumstances, but they find joy amongst the darkness, which is what makes this play so very human. A great piece of theatre with as much heart as it has grit, complete with thoughtful direction and realistic performances that bring the text to life.
Written by: Lois Tallulah
Directed by: Isla Jackon-Ritchie and Lois Tallulah
Assistant Director: Elika Norowzian
Produced by: Gas Money productions, Nadia Lamin, Lois Tallulah
Production and set design by: Nicole Dinucci
In The Shadow Of Her Majesty plays at Jack Studio Theatre until 16 November. Further information and tickets available here.
