Jessica Harris is at Birmingham Rep for a powerful solo performance.
A park bench on an otherwise bare stage. 15 characters who bring to life the grittiness of 1970s Dublin. A sole performer on stage for a full-length show. Myra’s Story is a play which stands or falls on the strength of the acting. And Fionna Hewitt-Twamley delivers a powerhouse performance that takes us on an emotional journey and connects us to both the humour and the tragedy of life.
Told through reminiscence, with no fourth wall, this is a tale of a woman who has ended up on the streets. It is, potentially, the story of any of us. Whether the breakup of a relationship, the death of someone dear, or the falling behind on the rent, there are events in life that few can avoid. Myra’s Story shows how any of these can put us just a step or two away from the edge. For those who fall, there is the risk of ‘The Beast’. For Myra, the beast is alcohol. It helps her deal with the pain and with the shame.
Along the way, the characters who populate Myra’s life come alive through Hewitt-Twamley’s extraordinary performance. No challenge, it seems, is beyond her. Her voice and her body are her instruments. One moment, she projects the deep tones of her father and the next, the tinniness of her neighbour Tina. In a touch of genius, she becomes a garden gnome, her new best friend in tough times, a friend she can talk to about anything and everything. Whilst the Dublin accent is strong, there is nuance and clarity in each of the characters. Myra’s current life is present throughout, her posture and her scratching portraying the cold, the damp and even more.
Behind the immediate story, there are other themes. The conflict in Northern Ireland and its effects on people in the south lurk just beneath the surface. So does the poverty of many of Dublin’s communities, and the props that people use to get by. But there is comedy too in scenes of Myra’s early days of marriage and of her inescapable neighbours. Brian Foster’s script juxtaposes the brutal and the comic, and the tension this creates is gripping.
The reminiscence format can feel a little overdone at points and, on the technical side, at the show’s only performance at the Birmingham Rep, the head mic caused a few sound problems. But Hewitt-Twamley holds us in her hands throughout and her question to the audience is clear: why do we not see those who are on the streets, and why do we pretend they are no longer part of society?
Myra’s Story was directed by Brian Foster and presented by Trafalgar Theatre Productions.
For further information visit birmingham-rep.co.uk.
