Beauty is Prison-Time

Lashmela might sound like any ordinary girl. She has one daughter; sews clothes; is jealous of other girls’ looks - especially Marsha’s), and being Siberian, learns one English word every day from a text book. Yet norms are subverted in Beauty is Prison Time, as Lashmela is imprisoned - both literally and by her memories, which we see her helplessly act out. She is separated from her daughter, who she believes is in 'America', and learns English because she is desperate to communicate. She sews military uniforms for the prison. But the strangest part is that Lashmela cares about her looks because she is entering a prison beauty pageant, and the rumours go that the winner gets parole - a ‘beauty ticket to out’.This one woman show is based on a true story, and Zoe Mavroudi certainly commands an engaging truth in her portrayal of Lashmela. She is an endearing character who aspires to reach beyond past experiences. Her relish in creating a costume for the pageant (she will dress as goddess of the earth, Dameta) and later acting out of her entry, complete with dance routine to ‘I Need A Hero’ is sincere but not sentimental as Mavroudi fills it will humble touches of humour. Mavroudi’s depictions of the characters who have populated her life are also effective; she suddenly becomes slouching and surly as the nightclub manager she is seduced and then abused by.Just as such depictions appear out of nowhere, so Mavroudi’s set of black box, prison table and stool, sewing machine and rolls of thread becomes every setting she needs. Stool acts as car seat or club booth; a thread roll is a gun; even a poll holding the black curtains up is used for poll dancing. Mavroudi is aided by an excellent soundtrack with renders all that happens around her brilliantly.The most memorable thing about the production is Lashmela’s love and exploration of English words - Mavroudi mixes the sense of Lashmela’s rudimentary English skills with an unconscious profundity as she questions and finds unusual meanings in phrases and constructions. She likes the ‘ship’ words - ‘friendship’, ‘courtship’ - and wonders why there is no ‘loveship’. She calls the club owner the ‘club father’ - ironically, when he has taken no care of her at all. The undermining of Lashmela’s romanticism about English later in the play comes with just one line, and is a sparkling touch.Much is commendable here. However, it is perhaps fair to say that Beauty is Prison Time is too long. Certain scenes and exchanges are drawn out and monotonous, and this mars the production. Although springing from a true story, the plot is still largely predictable and does not move us as much as it might. Still, whilst her material sometimes lets her down, Mavroudi is definitely a performer to watch.