Review: Memoriam, Southwark Playhouse

I took my seat for Memoriam with some trepidation, as the warnings for this production include references to the Holocaust, Nazism, and anti-Semitism, as well as death, medical procedures, violence, racism, childbirth, concentration camps, grief, suffocation, and seizures.

The show takes place in the Southwark Playhouse, which, established in 1993, is one of London’s leading fringe theatres. Seated in the round, the audience is presented with clinical staging, featuring a large oval light above and below the stage, and a white mannequin-type head on display. Minimal furniture is added and removed between scenes.

The prospect of experiencing someone else’s memories is a daunting one. The audience is introduced to this idea when Becky (Jimena Larraguivel) is persuaded to sell her memory of childbirth to Memoriam, a tech company that can extract and repackage human memories for immersive VR experiences. While this storyline is not central to the play’s themes, it allows the audience to understand the principles of Memoriam’s business model.

Although Memoriam is set in the future, it is a wholly believable premise that presents both ethical and moral dilemmas. Rachel (Rachel Barry) is an employee of Memoriam, and Barry’s portrayal of a professional who loves her job and does it well is very convincing. Her boss, Chris, played by Ben Wiggins, is a smooth operator. Wiggins gives a strong performance, looking every bit the part with his slick hairstyle and fashionable suit.

When we are introduced to Rivka, excellently played by Beverley Klein, we learn that she is the last known Holocaust survivor and Rachel’s grandmother. Chris is keen for her to sell her memories to Memoriam so an invaluable part of history can be preserved for future generations. However, when Rachel puts this proposal to her grandmother, her brother David (Ashley Margolis) is firmly opposed to the idea, and the conversation becomes heated and emotional.

Due to the in-the-round staging, the actors sometimes have their backs to sections of the audience, but the dialogue is strong enough to keep you engaged. My favourite scenes are those featuring siblings Rachel and David. Their disagreements feel authentic, if a little too gentle and polite!

There is some much-needed humour throughout the almost two-hour long performance. With no interval, some of the arguments become a little repetitive, and the dialogue can feel intense. Nevertheless, the production remains accessible and compelling throughout.

Towards the end of the play, Rivka steps off the stage and walks around it to deliver a monologue about her childhood. This is a nice moment and provides a breather from some of the heavier scenes. Each scene is separated by a change in lighting, and the most distressing scene takes place in darkness, with just sound.

Memoriam raises many questions. On the evening I attended, a post-show discussion explored how memories such as these can, and should, be preserved. It is a question the play invites us to consider in a thought-provoking and engaging way.

Written by Noga Flaishon
Directed by Daniel Goldman
Set and Costume Design by Ellie Wintour
Lighting Design by Jonathan Chan
Presented by Tangram Theatre Company and Gabriella Sills Productions

Memoriam plays at Southwark Playhouse Borough until Saturday 21 November.