{"id":767,"date":"2016-03-31T12:27:23","date_gmt":"2016-03-31T11:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.madf.im\/?p=767"},"modified":"2016-03-31T12:27:23","modified_gmt":"2016-03-31T11:27:23","slug":"legion-players-brings-tears-to-our-eyes-with-their-production-of-night-mother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madf.im\/?p=767","title":{"rendered":"Legion Players brings tears to our eyes with their production of \u2018night, Mother"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the penultimate night of the festival MADF welcomed another group from the Isle of Man, the <\/span>Legion Players <\/b>who presented <\/span>Marsha Norman\u2019s <\/b>play <\/span>\u2018night, Mother<\/i><\/b>. This is a heart-breaking tale of two ordinary women which was first premiered at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is the winner of the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.<\/span><\/p>\n

The drama is set in Mama\u2019s house somewhere in America occurring over a single winter evening. The story follows Jessie (<\/span>Michelle Jamieson<\/b>), an epileptic divorcee who lives with her mother (Mama), Thelma (<\/span>Stephanie Gray<\/b>). On this night Jessie casually announces that she is going to kill herself and as the play progresses we see Mama\u2019s desperate attempts to talk her daughter out of committing suicide. Along the way we learn of all the different reasons why Jessie wants to end her life, whilst she keeps busy completing everyday household chores naturally and carelessly. <\/span>Norman <\/b>cleverly highlights the loneliness and isolation of an ordinary woman, captivating a failed mother-daughter relationship in a terrifically effective way.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the words of the adjudicator, Mike Tilbury, <\/span>Legion Players\u2019 <\/b>production of <\/span>\u2018night, Mother<\/i><\/b> was \u201cheart rending\u201d and \u201cmoving\u201d. This play requires two strong actresses and that is exactly what we got last night from the <\/span>Legion Players<\/b>,<\/span> the cast of two established an excellent pace and great rhythm from the very beginning. <\/span>Gray\u2019s <\/b>Mother had brilliant body language and facial expressions with very heartfelt speeches. She also developed her desperation well but the adjudicator suggested that <\/span>Gray <\/b>could lengthen some of the pauses and do more with the emotional blackmail. However, it was a touching performance from <\/span>Gray <\/b>with an exceptional, emotional and unforgettable final moment. This moment of the play was described by the adjudicator as \u201ctense and spellbinding\u201d and I believe brought a lot of the audience to tears. The cast of two worked extremely well together and there was very natural dialogue between the two of them throughout the show. <\/span>Jamieson <\/b>delivered her seizure speeches excellently and her movement around the stage was very natural and well-marked, directing the mood and dialogue perfectly. <\/span>Jamieson\u2019s <\/b>phrasing was fantastic and beautifully timed, something the adjudicator picked up on. Her performance was full of meaning and the audience could see the thought process behind every line and movement, it was brilliantly executed. The adjudicator also described the young actress as \u201cextraordinary\u201d and said it was a \u201cperformance of terrific depth, intensity and maturity\u201d. Both <\/span>Jamieson <\/b>and <\/span>Gray <\/b>presented a heart breaking performance and overall it was a beautifully conceived production.<\/span><\/p>\n

Legion Players\u2019 <\/b>set was pleasingly crafted with love and detail, as well as using lamps to set a realistic mood. There was also an outside light in the kitchen window which dimmed as Jessie\u2019s life ebbed away. The playwright asks for a working clock on stage and the <\/span>Legion Players <\/b>even stopped this clock during the interval, they have a fabulous eye for detail through the whole production. The adjudicator thought the performance would have been more effective without this interval as it interrupted Jessie\u2019s countdown, however this may not have been the Director’s (<\/span>Benjamin Heath<\/b>) choice but the venue or festivals. The costumes were suitable and worked well to portray the difference between the two characters. The final song was haunting and a perfect finish to an impressive and outstanding production by the <\/span>Legion Players<\/b>. These choices made by <\/span>Heath <\/b>made the production whole as he not only created a great set that made the movement fluid with the wonderful use of a kitchen island but he also shaped a somewhat surreal, but remarkable atmosphere through their production of <\/span>\u2018night, mother<\/i><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, last night we saw an extremely powerful performance from both actresses, <\/span>Jamieson <\/b>and <\/span>Gray<\/b>. <\/span>Norman\u2019s <\/b>play <\/span>\u2018night, Mother<\/i><\/b> is a clever piece of writing with an emotive storyline and <\/span>Legion Players <\/b>presented an unforgettable production that personally brought me to tears.<\/span><\/p>\n