A cleverly written story bursting with dark folklore, yet to be fully matched in clarity and intensity by its execution. Rating
Good!
In Sarah Pearcey’s The Notion of Recompense, the story of Elin, who has returned home after surviving a witch’s curse, is moved along in creative ways under Kat Munroe and Eleanor Dunlop’s direction. While the set transports us to a different time period, with strange objects and weapons hanging on the walls like bad omens, the use of instruments and song effectively physicalises some of the play’s key moments of generational trauma. During song, a sense of eeriness is embedded into the staging choices. This invites the audience into tales told through generations whilst pinpointing breakdowns in collective thinking, even managing to disguise certain characters with invisibility.
Emma Kirrage gives a stand-out performance in the lead role of Elin. Her evocative presence depicts a world of past troubles that have been faced alone. She is the only one who has met the witch and tries to defend her to the people in her village, who are all savagely passionate about keeping her dead. The character was cursed for years, living as an owl, for a reason that nobody seems to know, and haunting owl-like movements in Kirrage’s performance serve as vivid glimpses into Elin’s past. The actor’s expression of freedom alongside pain carries a resonant weight throughout the play, bringing Elin to life with darkness and lightness in equal measure.
Alex Guersman plays Stranger as a perfectly despicable character who brings to mind the ‘man vs bear’ debate. He steals moments, dignity, and much more from the women/girls in the village whilst upholding his reputation of a ‘charming’ young man. The arc and dynamic of his role within the family are carefully considered in Pearcey’s writing: every choice written into his character, in action and word, is a commentary on the inhumanity of the hidden villain.
Heavy themes, blood-stained fabrics, content warnings – this is most definitely a GrimFest sort of play. However, there is room for the audience to feel more disturbed! The play is bold in its requirement to bring unthinkably horrifying scenes to life, so the intensity of the delivery needs to increase to match that boldness. Similarly, the scenes of intimacy have some tension, but the emotional peaks don’t fully translate to the audience. With strengthened synergy and fiercer choices, these heavier and/or heightened scenes could achieve the visceral effect that Pearcey’s writing demands.
Additionally, transitions between scenes could become smoother through more innovative use of the theatre space, and ensuring actors are not having to shift character too obviously, as this disrupts the beautiful momentum built. On the night, some key dialogue was difficult to hear at points, which could easily be solved by the performers slowing down and speaking clearly, especially on lines that hold important information for the plot.
The Notion of Recompense is an exciting new piece of theatre, bursting with dark folklore. Within its short one-hour running time, the thoughtful messages within the writing are what shine through the most, and the characters presented are timeless. The production demonstrates a good foundation for development going forward
Written by Sarah Pearcey
Directed by Kat Munroe & Eleanor Dunlop
Produced by Eleanor Dunlop, in collaboration with Kat Munroe, Amy King and Sarah Pearcey
MD, Composition, Sound Design & Intimacy Direction by Amy King
Lighting Design by Mimi Browne
Fight Direction by Luke Vinecombe
The Notion of Recompense has completed its run as part of Grimfest at The Old Red Lion
