An energetic spectacle of a one-woman show that approaches abuse with nuance and explores a woman in the shadow of a famous man's successRating
Kerry Jones’ set in the style of an early twentieth-century circus elegantly projects the tone of the piece, and inducts the audience into the world of Tilly No-body – vibrant performance fraying around the edges. The play does not begin with Tilly’s entrance from the wings, however, but as she emerges from a small box that actress Bella Merlin folds herself into for up to half an hour, in five layers of costume. Despite what must be a physically demanding opening, especially in an auditorium where even the audience were sweating, Tilly is enthralling in her vigour and melodramatic styling right from the beginning.
Maggie Morgan‘s costuming is sensational, the military jacket and cumberbund a particular standout amongst a collection of lovely pieces, which, despite the heat, Merlin manages to wear in layers upon layers until the dramatic crescendo of the play, where she is left in nothing but a skin suit.
Merlin is dazzling in her energy and her unwavering commitment to the production as spectacle. She not only acts at one hundred percent intensity, but plays the guitar, sings, does puppetry, and displays astronomical circus skills by balancing on a large wooden sphere with no safety equipment whilst performing on her instrument. Thanks to Merlin’s admirable skillset and the detailed and cohesive work of the designers, the production is very visually appealing.
The topic of the production, playwright Frank Wedekind’s marriage to and abuse of his wife, Tilly, is such an important one for a multitude of reasons, including holding historically revered men accountable for their wrongdoings whilst foregrounding the stories of their victims and those they pushed aside, essential to modern artistic conversation and development.
What is clear is that Tilly really loved Frank, and, in admirable eagerness to demonstrate the nuances of abuse and the complex web of love and dependency experienced by victims, the show shies away from the heaviness of sincerity during Tilly’s more difficult moments, to the point where the audience cannot emotionally connect with her properly. Moments of sadness and fear are rushed through with little intention in favour of quickly getting back to the avant-garde, which, in this production, means a sacrifice of the genuine. The direction and style, here, seem slightly discordant with the heart of the play, and though Miles Anderson‘s direction and Merlin’s acting are skilful, they do not marry together as cohesively as one would hope for a production spearheaded by this husband/wife team.
This production is delightfully aware of its own absurdity, and of itself as performance. A standout moment is when the script compels a complete break of character onstage and for a moment, Tilly becomes Merlin, asking onstage, “What’s my next line? I’ve forgotten what to say…” This long thirty seconds of uncomfortable silence, where she appeals to the stage manager, or anyone, to prompt her, has, according to producers, elicited some kind of audience intervention during every performance so far. This gambit absolutely pays off, as it becomes a part of Merlin’s wider exploration of Tilly’s personhood, feeling inextricably tied to what Frank Wedekind compels her to say by writing characters designed for her. Merlin asks, are we what we say if we do not mean it? And what is the self to an actor? These explorations throughout the production are a great asset to the plot, though moments where Tilly attempts to spit out Frank’s words can be rushed and therefore slightly ineffectual.
This is a production definitely worth seeing, not only for Merlin’s astounding talent and fervour, but also for its nuanced discussion around the history of women’s struggles in male success and its approach to abusive relationships told from the victim’s perspective.
Written by Bella Merlin
Directed by Miles Anderson
Set by Kerry Jones
Costumes by Maggie Morgan
Puppets by John Murphy
Music and Sound by Dave Rosener
Lighting by Chris Corner
Produced by Andy Jordan
Assistant Producer: Amie Brian
Tilly No-body runs at Arcola Theatre until Saturday 25 July.
