Low Down

To Break A Man is a new one woman show presented by Tarry Theatre. Written and performed by Jade Blue, the show has been directed by George Dillon.

Review

The premise of To Break A Man is a hugely intriguing one. Based on a scene from a Paul Auster novel, famed for his postmodern dissections of probability, chance and statistics, To Break A Man questions the importance of decision-making in our daily lives.

Structurally the show worked extremely well in realising this concept. The show moved strikingly between the abstract, bombarding the audience with facts and figures, where decisions we make seems pointless; and the real life of an individual, Flora, whose existence is about to be rocked by an extremely important decision made by her father. The writing was the strongest component of this one woman show. Blue explored the themes with an ambition, clarity and sophistication that was extremely impressive. The selection from a pack of cards by the audience as to what scene we would see next (whether it was rigged or not!) was a clear indication of the level of thought given to clearly bringing the themes to life in this piece of work.

Blue's characterisation of Flora, an 18-year-old girl confined to a loosely defined mental facility was also affecting and well realised. Her mannerisms, simpering and possessively clutching onto a small leather suitcase, convincingly portrayed Flora, who, while physically on the cusp of adulthood, was still emotionally, firmly a child.

Unfortunately, this strong sense of identity was lacking in Blue's presentation of the supporting characters. While her performances as the varied cast of characters, particularly as the rotund Aunt Shirley, drew chuckles from the audience, it was in the quieter and more poignant moments that it didn't fully engage. The lines occasionally felt like they were blurring between Flora and the other characters, especially vocally, and it was not entirely clear whether this was a deliberate effort. That said, the bravery in this performance was clear and, for Blue to have attempted to inhabit such a diverse range of characters, was bold and did provide the audience with consistent entertainment throughout.

The direction from George Dillon was precise and detailed with Blue making good use of the bare stage and the sparse selection of props. The use of briefcase, one side plain, one side covered in childish scrawl, to indicate the switch in character between Flora and her father was a particularly neat visual cue. There were gestures made towards physical theatre, especially in the delivery of the closing monologue, however I felt it lacked the dynamism and commitment that the writing deserved.

To Break A Man is an intriguing show with much to recommend it, which clearly has great potential and shows real promise. This reviewer hopes that with continued touring, the production matures into a top flight show.
 

Reviewed by DS 30/01/09

Website :

http://www.georgedillon.com/theatre/to_break_a_man.shtml