A play that explores contemporary social issues through prophecy and power. Rating
Good!
Sally (Nicole Cooper), an ordinary and unassuming woman, is walking past her local theatre when she suddenly falls into a hole in the pavement. When she emerges, she finds herself hearing the voices of a mysterious chorus and is able to predict the future. To make matters worse, she begins attracting an ever-growing army of frogs to her garden.
A black circle in the middle of the stage at the Traverse 2 represents the hole, as well as the kitchen, where Sally and her husband, Richard (Richard Conlon), frequently argue. The couple are discussing what to have for dinner when Sally announces that she is cursed. Conlon plays Richard’s concern convincingly, and the audience sees just how desperate he is for Sally to get better. This concern, however, gives way to a change in attitude that feels insufficiently developed.
Cooper successfully portrays Sally as sane, but no one believes her, a bit like a modern-day Cassandra. Also, like Tiresias, Sally’s visions get stronger as her eyesight weakens. She sees an attack on an asylum seeker and her bigoted neighbour’s cancer diagnosis, but her efforts to do something fall short. Richard’s token attempts to help Sally prevent her visions from coming true can be read as a broader commentary on contemporary political and social issues: nothing is done until it is too late.
Towards the back of the stage is a black curtain, concealing a projection of a dingy kitchen until towards the end of the play. The decision to reveal it so late feels somewhat random and does not add anything to the production.
The lighting, designed by Lizzie Powell, is dynamic and varied, accentuating the distinction between Sally’s inner thoughts, the chorus, and conversations between the couple. The costumes serve their purpose. Sally’s loose linen top and trousers allow her freedom of movement, facilitating her performance; Richard’s smart-casual look, complete with a lanyard, reinforces his status as the sensible one, the main earner.
Running slightly longer than it needs to be, Supposing is an interesting take on modern-day politics. While not every idea comes together, the play remains an engaging exploration of what it means to see the future and the helplessness of being unable to change it.
Written and Directed by Zinnie Harris
Set and Costume Design by Alisa Kalyanova
Lighting Design by Lizzie Powell
Supposing plays at Traverse Theatre until Sunday 30 August.
