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A one-woman show encompassing the spirits of many.Summary
Rating
Good
Mediumship and spirituality are perennially interesting subjects, so you could probably stage a show about them at any time of year. But there’s something about this window between Halloween and Christmas that feels particularly appropriate, and a dark, drizzle-drenched evening in Camden seemed just about right for this comic-dramatic showcase created by Irish writer/director Hannah O’Reilly and American writer/performer Kylie Brady.
One of London’s best black box spaces, the stage of the Etcetera is simply but effectively set with a magical ring of salt enclosing a rug, a chair and a table. Enter mouthy, gum-chewing New Yorker Stella in heels, lacy bustier and trashy pink trouser suit, immediately establishing a ballsy character who has a friendly audience eating out of her scarlet-taloned hands. The accent is on comedy as Stella summons the spirits of various departed souls, providing Brady with a purpose-built showcase to demonstrate her theatrical versatility.
First we have a posh, disapproving mother lecturing her daughter in a Hyacinth Bucket sort of way. Her amusing snobbery gives way to a snatch of Lady Macbeth and a sung impersonation of super-chirpy Snow White followed by a strutting Hispanic sexpot. Brady’s credentials are seamlessly established: Accents? Tick. Singing? Tick. Dance? Tick. One is hardly surprised to read in Brady’s biog that she specialises in “using the body as a creative gateway”. My companion was surprised that she didn’t produce a mandolin from one of her shopping bags to share her strumming skills as well.
A cigarette inspires a segment which feels like a homage to Sam Shepard – something grim from the southern states of America – and then we get a furball-choking cat, a mafioso figure with a thing about lasagne, before Stella is finally possessed by the spirit of her dead twin sister.
There’s no doubting that this is all very well done. However, despite the hooting and ovating of the very supportive audience, none of it struck me as really funny or at all profound. The “Shepard” bit was moody but ultimately meaningless, and the appearance of the dead sister didn’t bring with it any dramatic weight.
There’s no doubting Brady’s talent, and the framework of the piece has potential, but it needs a sharper script to marshal its elements into something more than simply a display of performance skills. Any play needs a spine of truthfulness to anchor its mechanics to the soul of the audience. And that holds true for any genre, at any time of year.
Written by: Hannah O’Reilly & Kylie Brady
Directed by: Hannah O’Reilly
The Wondrous Conveyance of Stella Estrella plays at the Etcetera Theatre until Tuesday 19th November. Further information and booking details can be found here.
