Inventive staging and clever dialogue can't rescue a muddled, overlong play that goes around in circles.Rating
Ok
The experiences of migrant care workers during the Covid-19 pandemic should make for compelling theatre. While the rest of us were told to stay at home, thousands of carers sacrificed time with their own families to look after society’s most vulnerable. It’s a fascinating starting point for Lightstreams, Mary Mazzilli’s new play at Theatre503, but one that never quite delivers on its promise.
Maurice (Zakaria Meknas) and Hermia (Gabriela Chanova) are a migrant couple building a life in Britain. As Covid approaches, Hermia becomes increasingly consumed by obsessive-compulsive behaviours, while Maurice remains determined to continue his work in a care home. Eventually, he moves in to protect its elderly residents, leaving Hermia alone with their baby, repeatedly referred to as their ‘small child’.
Director Richard Bland finds inventive ways of telling the story, particularly through contrapuntal dialogue, with the two central characters speaking over one another and finishing each other’s sentences. It’s a clever device, although its charm wears thin as the same conversations are repeated again and again. Meknas and Chanova give committed, largely convincing performances, doing their best to bring some emotional weight to characters who aren’t always particularly well served by the script.
The production makes good use of Theatre503’s intimate space. Joy Chen’s cardboard set, complete with wonderfully mouldy walls, creates an evocative backdrop, while an atmospheric soundscape builds a sense of dread. The lighting is similarly effective, establishing shifts in mood and location. Even the baby is made from cardboard.
Unfortunately, there’s only so much these theatrical flourishes can do. At 115 minutes, Lightstreams feels considerably longer than necessary. It’s almost as though Mazzilli decided to write a full-length, two-act play, realised she didn’t have enough story to fill it, and went ahead anyway. The first half is noticeably shorter than the second, creating a peculiar imbalance. As the central characters circle the same arguments, audible sighs suggest the audience’s patience is wearing thin.
The introduction of Darya (Eugenia Caruso), an elderly care home resident, feels oddly disconnected. Her almost comic delivery elicits snickers, although the laughter feels at odds with the material. Things culminate in an equally baffling finale, as Hermia returns to her home country and Maurice harms himself in a disturbing scene that feels insufficiently earned.
Developed through interviews with migrant care workers, Lightstreams is clearly well-intentioned. But important stories don’t automatically make compelling theatre. Despite some inventive staging and clever dialogue, the production struggles to turn its compelling subject matter into compelling drama. There’s a tighter, more affecting one-act play buried here somewhere.
Written by Mary Mazzilli
Directed by Richard Bland
Produced by Lumenis Theatre & Turnpike Productions
Lightstreams has completed its run at Theatre503
