An exceptional narrative, a solid script, and a staging and performance that still needs work. Rating
Good
There are certain topics that are deemed too heavy to talk about casually: religion, drugs, depression, bullying, sexual assault, etc. Hayley-Emma’s Perhaps tackles them all by following Lena Johnson, a year 10 student who is struggling with it all.
The story of Perhaps is bound to make for a heavy and difficult watch. Writer and performer Hayley-Emma manages to make it less so, while maintaining the gravity of the subject matter, by giving a voice to Lena Johnson herself. This show is a monologue, so everything the audience hears comes from the mind and mouth of a character that is so young and virtually impossible to trust. The monologue sounds authentically youthful, which adds a layer of tragedy to the situation (though it also puts itself at risk of becoming dated quite quickly). By establishing early on that Lena has a drug abuse problem, all of her actions and opinions become biased and unreliable. The moments in which she presents herself as a jokester, which try to lift the mood very subtly, are underpinned by the nagging sensation of something not being ok. Lena isn’t ok, and the show is very clear on that.
There are some issues when it comes to pacing. With only an hour of runtime, the show starts very strong by getting right on topic. After that, though, it slows down significantly when going through Lena’s daily motions, occasionally repeating certain topics. By the time the show gets to the “fractured night” (as it is referred to in the show’s description), which is the moment in which revelations come through and change starts to take place, there is not enough runtime. This pivotal part of the show feels rushed through, which means that the brilliant ending that follows right after is not as impactful as it could be.
The staging of Perhaps is, for now, its weakest point. The stage is empty, safe for a chair that is dragged around to signify a location change. The lighting changes only to indicate when Lena is high on drugs. A few more changes in lighting, perhaps to underline when Lena is talking to the audience and when she is interacting with others, as well as a stronger sound design, could elevate the visual aspects of this show, and make it less reliant on on phrases such as “I left” and “I moved”.
Hayley-Emma’s performance as Lena starts and ends very strong. There is a real understanding of the character that helps her nail the mannerisms and attitudes of this young girl. The detached manner in which she talks of her experience goes very well with the topics of the show. However, this narrative style lasts too long, concealing the moment when the character’s shell is cracking. The audience can listen to the moment in the words being said, but it is harder to perceive in the tone. Hayley-Emma’s impersonations of other characters, be it her teachers or her brother, are quite similar to her interpretation of Lena. Little is done to differentiate between them, and the delivery is so fast that it is hard to track when one character stops speaking and the next starts.
The foundation for a great performance is there, in the script and in the narrative, but it still needs some adjustments. This show is asking and trusting the audience to accept and engage with a proper tragedy, which is a remarkable feat of confidence for a debut production.
Written by Hayley-Emma
Produced by Amy Cregor Productions
Perhaps has concluded its run at the Etcetera Theatre
