Heavy on the monologues

Techniques of Breathing in an Airlocked Space

THE idea of a Russian play, banned in its home country, which uses a cancer-stricken couple as an allegory for a sick homeland, does not fill the heart with cheer.
So it is pleasantly surprising to find that Natalia Moshina’s play is a generally upbeat affair, combining heavy topics such as politics and religion with witty humour and rye observations, consistently well delivered by the cast, in particular Daniel Bayle and Margaret Tully.
The latter impresses in an over-long monologue about the teachings of her father and life as an unappreciated actress.
It is on this tendency for rambling that the play stumbles.
At an hour, the production does not outstay its welcome and the blocks of dialogue are broken up by a simple set in which the changes from scene to scene are imaginatively choreographed by director Noah Birksted-Breen.
But the monologue-heavy text does become quite tedious in places and makes one wonder if the time would have been better spent injecting a little more drama into the proceedings.
A lot of thought and passion was obviously put into the themes but rarely do the thoughts come to a satisfactory conclusion, leaving the viewer wondering what the point was. It may have been the author’s intention to raise questions, which is a noble intent but not always an entertaining one.
Until September 9
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