Review: Run Sister Run, Arcola Theatre

Connie (Jo Herbert) and her sister, Ursula (Kelly Gough) have led very different lives. While Connie comes to have a family and a career, Ursula has had several missteps, with multiple bouts in prison. Even though the two sisters parted ways many years ago, past events begin to unravel when Connie’s son, Jack (Charlie Beaven), reveals that his ex-girlfriend is pregnant with his child.

The narrative immerses the audience in the raw emotions of the sisters, their meetings, confrontations and love for each other; rewinding the clock in each scene, until the resentment and anger is gradually erased and there is nothing but love remaining.

Chloë Moss’s writing is both compelling and effective. Instead of following a straightforward chronological sequence, the story is told in reverse, beginning with the complete estrangement of the sisters, and gradually rewinding to their last meeting, the sacrifice Ursula makes for Connie, and all the way back to their childhood, when the sisters felt nothing but love for each other. This gradual revelation through time paves the way for a sensational buildup of the two main characters’ personalities and experiences, eventually delivering an emotional strike as the audience learn of the decisions Connie made in her later years, perhaps as a coping mechanism to hold on to the precious memories she shared with Ursula.

Moss’s scriptand Marlie Haco’s direction make excellent use of the cast and creatives’ talents to form a satisfying, rollercoaster experience. Herbert and Gough both deliver impeccable and electrifying chemistry, their characters effortlessly transitioning from pure hatred and disgust towards one another to pure love and sisterhood. The two actors showcase the different sides of their characters fantastically. Connie is sassy and deeply frustrated in her older years, but is shown to have faced her own hardships and challenges throughout her adulthood, having had to find ways to cope with Ursula’s drug abuse; but there’s also a more manipulative side, as she influences Ursula to act in the way she wants. Ursula, on the other hand, has transitioned from an innocent child, to a troubled teen and eventually finding meanings in life to keep herself out of trouble.

Tomás Palmer’s set designand lighting designed by Alex Forey wonderfully complement the narrative, creating visual cues as the story transports the audience back in time through each segment of the tale. Just like the sisters’ relationship, the set becomes increasingly messy as the plot progresses. Confetti is literally thrown about, with the sisters’ costume changes cleverly hidden within the vases that house it.

Moss and Haco paint a vivid picture of the sisters’ emotions at each and every one of their major milestones. It’s a marvellously crafted story, forged with emotions that are tempered by an unbreakable bond.

Written by: Chloë Moss
Directed by: Marlie Haco
Set & Costume Design by: Tomás Palmer
Composed by: Ákos Lustyik
Lighting Design by: Alex Forey
Produced by: Toby Mather

Run Sister Run plays at Arcola Theatre until Saturday 26 July.