Review: Otherland, Almeida Theatre

“I was wary of writing my Big Trans Play” Chris Bush’s programme notes say about Otherland, a play about, well, on the face of it, the struggles of being a trans woman. As a trans woman herself, it’s easy to see why, especially with the risk that it could be seen as autobiographical. It’s refreshing then to see a play that wants to explore much more than one person’s struggles. In fact, Otherland succeeds best when it is focusing on the woman affected by someone’s decision to transition.

Harry and Jo (Fizz Sinclair and Jade Anouka) start happily married, but that happiness is immediately shattered. The cause of their breakup is Harry’s decision that they need to begin their transition, something Jo may respect but knows she cannot be a part of. And thus, the pair begin their separate lives – lives that take very different paths.

The saying ‘it’s a play of two halves’ feels more apt that usual with Otherland. The first half belongs to Jo as she moves on with her life, aiming to go “off-grid”, until a chance encounter with Gabby (Amanda Wilkin) causes her to completely rethink what it is she wants in life. But while Jo looks outwards, Harry is looking inwards as she fights to be accepted as a woman, dealing with the practical and boring stuff; a new passport, discussions with HR about which toilets she should use and arguments with her mum about being accepted for who she now is. It’s a solid half of theatre, but perhaps nothing groundbreaking.

The second half though is a very different play, so it’s a shame it’s the shorter of the two. Where the first belonged more to Jo, this is absolutely Harry’s. From the very start it’s all different, the same characters but presented in utterly different ways. And time. As much as their lives diverged in the first half, here the difference is not just in their journey but even more so in their place in time. It allows for the conversation on what it means to be a woman to be explored in two rather unexpected ways, leading to a more fulfilling experience. Harry’s struggles to be accepted are fully laid out, with Bush’s writing really taking voice: “You crawled out of the ocean to just hide away in the dark” sums up Harry’s fears, whilst “Are there others like you?” and “You come here with total ignorance of our land” are lines that come with great meaning, encompassing the whole ongoing debate yet cleverly wrapped up in an alternative story.

Both Anouka and Sinclair share the leads in two very different ways. Anouka is full of energy with a need to be more than just a woman, a wife, a mother. Sinclair is more restrained, as if needing to prove she is how society expects a woman to be. But it’s the supporting cast who bring the real beauty, acting as the chorus alongside the live band, complete with cello and harp, that deliver moments of true wonder. Equally as wondrous is the transformation of the stage for the second half: the bareness remains but the centre opens up in a surprising way.

Bush has absolutely managed to write something more than just their “Big Trans Play”. It’s a celebration of what it is to be a woman and of sisterhood; not just what society (and usually men) expects. It may at times be just a little too obvious, but when it hits its stride, there’s no doubting that it throws up some interesting ideas and will clearly resonate with many in the diverse audiences it can reach.

Cast: Jade Anouka, Jackie Clune, Danielle Flamanya, Laura Hanna, Beth Hinton-Lever, Serena Manteghi, Fizz Sinclair, Amanda WIlkin

Band: Jennifer Whyte, Catrin Meek, Gabriella Swallow

Written by: Chris Bush
Directed by: Ann Yee
Set design by: Fly Davis
Costume design by: Milla Clarke
Lighting design by: Anna Watson
Sound design by: Pete Malkin
Composed and arranged by: Jennifer Whyte

Otherland plays at Almeida Theatre until Saturday 15 March.