Review: Never Tell Me The Odds, Old Red Lion Theatre

For many people, Christmas is a time for connection and shared joy with loved ones, friends and family. Never Tell Me The Odds, however, written and produced by Katherine Tempany, showcases a heroine shutting herself off from others as she struggles to regain her enthusiasm for life.

The charming but strained Maddy (Ficklelily Bel Burdis) is half-heartedly spending Christmas Eve in a rehabilitation clinic, having checked herself in for alcohol addiction, and avoids connecting with other residents. Maddy has closed herself off from the world after two failed attempts at forming relationships led to drink and near tragedy. Reflecting on these, she conjures up visions of the self-centred colleague Hugh (Zak Rosen) and oblivious friend Nate (Jack Maughan) who help her learn from the experiences. Encouragement is also provided by the compassionate therapist Paula (Fiona Spreadborough) and upbeat fellow resident Ronnie (Spencer Simmons). If there was ever a time for Maddy to learn the importance of connection and happiness, it must surely be Christmas.

This production is a work in progress that had limited rehearsal time and was therefore performed script in hand. However, the turning of pages did not distract from the engaging story and characters; the cast impressively maintained the flow and emotion of the dialogue, with limited brief glances at the scripts. Tempany’s writing quickly establishes an intriguing sense of mystery, as Maddy directly addresses the audience to convey her story, with her background slowly being uncovered as she opens up to others. Whilst the show explores a serious topic, humour is deployed sparingly and effectively to bring some relief as the darker developments are uncovered.

Each character is provided with a distinctive personality to support Maddy in her journey and to strike a balance from her being too open or too isolated. Director Abhishek Passi has guided the performances to convey the spectrum of perspectives and behaviours. This is most striking in the differing approaches of the residents on how to respond to the impact of addiction. Bel Burdis brings muted and lethargic movements to convey Maddy’s absorption by life’s challenges, whilst Simmons moves with energy and easy humour to highlight Ronnie’s contrasting determination to focus on the positives. The costuming likewise provides visual alignment with the personalities; Hugh’s dark shirt, tie and blazer convey his seriousness as he stands rigidly, which contrasts with the easy-going Nate’s relaxed jumper as he lounges on the floor. Paula is suitably professional in her pristine white physician’s coat.

As the story crosses between Maddy’s engagement with current real-world companions and her visions of past prospective partners, creative visual flourishes distinguish the two. To express Maddy retreating into her own mind during reflective monologues, the stage lighting dims the real-world set whilst a spotlight puts focus on Bel Burdis. The imagined discussions are accompanied by related images projected onto the wall along with sounds to bring the described memories to life: a party on a boat with Hugh and a peaceful park with Nate. The expansive set design conveys the real world of the clinic for the cast to move around; a whiteboard with positive guidance, chairs around a table, a comfy sofa for relaxing or sleeping on, while the seasonal Christmas tree rightly has pride of place.

This production can certainly be counted as a confident proof of concept; the characters are well defined, and the meaningful story has good potential for future expansion. There may be other clinic residents or people from Maddy’s past ready to share their wisdom, either in person or in her mind. Either way, Christmas is a good time for reflection and connection.

Written by Katherine Tempany
Directed by Abhishek Passi
Produced by Katherine Tempany

Never Tell Me The Odds plays at Old Red Lion until Saturdsy 13 December.