Between Malta and London, two sisters live very different lives, but come together to assist their ailing father.Summary
Rating
Good
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a figure who angered Zeus and was forced to push a large boulder up a hill for all eternity as punishment. In modern times, a task that is considered ‘Sisyphean’ is referred to as a task that is impossible to complete. An impossible task is exactly one which is portrayed in Sisyphean Quick Fix, a play about two sisters: Krista (Bettina Paris), who lives in London and aspires to be an actress and Pip (Tina Rizzo), who lives in Malta and has recently become engaged to a man, who she has neutral feelings towards. While the sisters have a close emotional relationship, they soon find themselves faced with the impossible task of caring for their aging, ailing and alcoholic father.
Actresses Paris and Rizzo perform Krista and Pip as sisters who are trying their best to live their lives in the best and most convenient way possible. However, this is hardly convincing as there are bottles of various alcoholic beverages all over the stage which seem to foreshadow the impossible task ahead of the siblings. The lighting does add a bit of a pleasant touch at certain points of the show giving the audience an idea of the overall atmosphere in what would otherwise be a good production.
The writing and directing, however, are elements which take Sisyphean Quick Fix from a play that is good to one that is extraordinary. Director Nicky Allpress has Krista and Pip standing on opposite sides of the stage, living their lives simultaneously but separately. This emphasises the fact that although the sisters live as fractures, far apart, mentally and emotionally they are close, and as the play progresses, they come together through a common denominator which is their father. The writing weaves a story which shows that although their father is not physically present, he is very real and important to the characters. Like a good book, the audience is immersed in a world of beauty, sprinkled with touches of humour which ease tension in an otherwise grim production.
The point of the show is to raise awareness about how alcohol addiction can be something which rips families apart and causes immense physical damage. While Krista and Pip’s father desires for what would be considered a ‘quick fix’ from a drink quickly spirals into a Sisyphean situation where the sisters and their father see no way out of the situation. Sisyphean Quick Fix is a production about a heavy topic, but it is portrayed in a balanced manner, which handles the topic with grace.
Written by: Bettina Paris
Directed by: Nicky Allpress
Sisyphean Quick Fix plays at Riverside Studios until Wednesday 16th April.
