The Confessions - National Theatre - review
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- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2024
- A chilling sexual assault and astounding nudity are central to this extraordinary story of an ‘ordinary’ woman, says Paul Seven in his review of Alexander Zeldin's new play The Confessions which Paul saw at the National Theatre. Paul describes the theatricality and naturalism that fuse together to form a compassionate, uplifting tale of a life in which she overcomes sexism and misogyny to look back on a life that is both recognisable and unique. Amelda Brown and Eryn Jean Norvill play older and younger Alice, supported by Joe Bannister, Jerry Killick, Lilit Lesser, Brian Lipson, Pamela Rabe, Gabrielle Scawthorn and Yasser Zadeh. Alexander Zeldin directs his own play which has a set by Marg Horwell and lighting by Paule Constable. Yannis Phippakis of Foal provides the sonorous music.
The Confessions is an A Zeldin Company / Compagnie A Zeldin Production and can be seen at The National Theatre until 4 November 2023 and then at Comédie de Genève (8-12 November), Théâtre de Liège (15-18 November) and Comédie de la Clermont (22-24 November).
Paul paid for his own ticket.
Production photographs used in this review are by Christophe Raynaud de Lage.
Read the review at theatre.reviews
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I went to see the confessions over october half term, it was my first time going to the national and was a completely last minute decision by me and my friends. Ive never cried at the theatre before but i cried twice at the confesions, im very glad you agree on how amazing the production was
I’m so glad you got to see this fantastic play
Bang goes that theory. No question that some people, including some reviewers, found it boring and shallow. I found the details of what happened to Alice abd how she came through it fascinating.
Now Paul, we'll have to have words . . .
On Friday night I actually made up my mind to see this, and since Saturday was the last day, that was the day I chose. A matinee in what looked like a virtually full theatre.
Before anything else, could I ask what is up with audiences? When a play is advertised as starting at 2pm that's not a fanciful suggestion, a run-it-up the flagpole suggestion for discussion. That's the time it starts. People were still wandering in at ten past two as though they had all the time in the world. I guess possibly they thought it started at 2.30 because that's the 'usual time' - but honestly, it was so annoying,
And then, at the precise moment the guy - I forget his name, sorry - pulled down his underpants, someone's mobile phone went off three rows behind me and the moment was serenaded by a jaunty tune. Lots of fumbling, phone went silent. Alice and the guy get in the bath - and off goes the phone again.
I hope the cast could laugh about it afterwards because it was so perfectly timed, they couldn't have done better if they tried.
But on to the play. I lack your eloquence in talking about plays but in my opinion this was a rather shallow thing and I don't understand why it has got so much praise. The acting and staging were fine - though young Alice's perpetual expression of slightly pained puzzlement did grate on me after a bit. There were some funny lines (well, lines that were acted in such a way that made them funny). But ultimately I couldn't see anything in it that would speak to the ages. It was an okay story about one particular family but nothing about it resonated with me. I agree with one review I saw - this would only be of interest to the writer and his mother. I have no idea why this was on at the National Theatre.
- Well, plenty of people think it was wonderful, I suppose that's why.
There were quite a lot of cheers at the walkdown and about a dozen people tried to start a standing ovation, but as I walked out all people were talking about was the mobile phone.
Maybe there's something about this play. The night I went, someone in the audience fainted and had to be carried out, a man using the audio description spoke loudly as he walked out, and the two women next to me kept up a running commentary.
Even so, I still loved the play and production. Could it be a play that appeals more to seniors?
@@TheatreReviewsWithPaulSeven Fainting's a bit much! Saturday was an audio-described performance and I could hear a gentle buzzing around me, nothing unsettling.
As to appealing to seniors . . . I'm about thirty-two in my head and in my tastes but the body will never see 64 again!