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A captivating work that explores the many ways a condition like multiple sclerosis may effect any one at any age.Summary
Rating
Excellent
When it comes to works of art about complex illnesses and disabilities many stick to a rigid formula, where a character’s discovery of their condition is a harrowing shock, but they slowly learn to live with it, and perhaps even thrive. And while Bright Places does echo this occasionally, it deserves acclaim as it largely tells its story in an original manner, and is often a production that’s bursting with energy.
That’s somewhat quite ironic given Bright Place‘s subject matter, but also one of the main ideas explored here. While presumably most will have heard of Multiple Sclerosis, many might not be aware of the myriad of ways it can effect people. Yet at the same time it also makes it very apparent that this is just one person’s experience, and how it may vary greatly with others, which ties in with how one of the biggest issues is never knowing how you will feel from one day to the next.
There’s a slightly clunky opening as three actors (Lauren Foster, Aimee Berwick and Rebecca Holmes) take to the stage and we learn that all will be playing Louise, a character based on the life of writer Rae Mainwaring, as well as a host of other individuals she’s met. This leads to jokes about the nature of acting, and how Rae is awful at it, which feel a bit misplaced given that we know nothing about her. Thankfully It’s pretty much the only odd choice in this captivating play, as we learn that Louise was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 23, how she was unaware that people of her age could suffer from it, nor how to adjust to such devastating news.
It’s the level of honesty about Louise’s reaction which makes it such a powerful, impactful work, as Mainwaring doesn’t hold back for a second as to the horror she felt upon being diagnosed. That also includes the ways she struggled with not only the condition but with shame and fear as well, and how initially she didn’t really understand what was happening to her. This was made worse as she became overwhelmed by the possibility that she would never live the life she’d dreamt of, find love or have a successful career, and given that at its worse MS left her without the energy to leave her home these fears were all too real.
As well as Louise the cast mix it up and play various doctors, people in support groups, potential boyfriends and even a personification of the illness itself, and these are pieces of acting that deserve to be award winning. All of the actors transform from one character to another in a blink of an eye, and they’re also playful, appealing performances which feel so natural it’s easy to forget just how many roles they each take on. It also contains a lot of complex dialogue to illustrate the nature of the condition, yet the way the play is directed in a lively manner and so it never feels like a didactic lesson, just a very affecting story.
The ending is slightly rushed as we leap to the modern day and what Louise’s life is like now, and it feels a slight shame that there isn’t a further exploration of how far she has come during this time. But it does serve to underline the most important theme here – With a disease like MS you cannot predict how your life will turn out, but it should never be suggested that you won’t become the person you always wanted to be.
Written by Rae Mainwaring
Directed by Tessa Walker
Designed by Debbie Duru
Produced by Courtenay Johnson
Bright Places is playing at the Soho Theatre until Saturday 7th December. Tickets and more information can be found here.
