Written and Directed by Rae Webb
Review by Marina Funcasta
Lights Out opens to an all-too-familiar space: a bare stage, the only furniture is scattered cardboard boxes. Maeve, played with a certain unruffled ease by Grace Lovejoy, seems to be sailing the ship, so to speak; her sister, Rosie, seems to be doing the heavy lifting, played by Kimberley Devlin, with the classic younger-sister histrionics. The stress and excitement of new beginnings flood the room as they discuss what they bring and try to talk about what they leave behind.
Memory is a very subjective and often contentious topic. Especially when in a family setting. A melting pot of generations, life experiences and relationships can mean that you end up realising that you remember an event or individual in a very specific light. Realising this light isn't the objective truth can send you down a spiral of existential dread, identified acutely by Rae Webb's script. Using this tension between the sisters as a fulcrum from which her story emerges is brilliant, as the lines of truth and fact are unbeknownst to us, making both her leads unreliable in a sense.
This is not to say they don't fail to charm. Rosie, idealistic and inquisitive, sometimes to her own detriment, excels in her comedic storytelling. Devlin triumphs in her lighter moments, with her comedic timing shining through in monologues describing her sexual experiences with her ex. Lovejoy proves less volatile though no less charming; stolid in her presence on stage, she takes on the more reactive role in an understated yet teasing manner.
The actresses showcased a lot of variation and endurance, remaining on stage for the duration of the show. Although the tension waned at points, having such a bare stage was certainly a challenge dressed in a minimalist disguise. Unencumbered by their environment, until, of course, the fateful 'lights out', it didn't give the characters much to do except converse, intensified by their continuous eye contact. These moments are when the normalcy and naturalness of their dynamic fail to convince.
This feeling of overperforming, however, was warranted by the climactic blackout, conventionally used as a structural marker; in this case, Webb has taken the lack of lighting in her stride – particularly smart on days like yesterday, where the power outage for many shows reminded us of our blind-sided dependence on technology. To be sure, something interesting is that when the lights are on, honesty between the sisters proves harder to achieve than when the lights are out. The undefined space, forcing us to listen, brings a sense of intimacy between the sisters and the audience. The play's engagement with moments of ambiguity stands out as Webb's most promising achievements – even if, at points, they would have benefited from cutting or clarification.
Review by Marina Funcasta (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Marina is halfway through an English literature degree at Edinburgh University, wherein she has been (considerably) involved in the drama scene: enjoying performing with their Shakespeare Company shows, but also modern takes on Arthur Miller. However, Marina's interests are wide-ranging under the theatre genre – enjoying abstract, more contemporary takes on shows (with a keen interest in Summerhall)
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