Smoking Apples’ and Little Cauliflower’s production ‘Cell’ is described to be a ‘work in progress’- but it hardly shows. The play tells the story of a man, played by a dummy, dealing with his gradual loss of movement, due to the fact that he has Motor Neurone Disease.
All in all, ‘Cell’ is a touching piece of artwork
When dealing with contentious topics, it is easy to fall into the trap of making a show too serious, or not serious enough. However, ‘Cell’ steers clear of disappointment by creating a good balance of light-hearted jokes and touching moments showing that with Motor Neurone Disease it is hard to do the simplest of tasks (including feeding a fish).
It is important to note that the majority of the play is in mime, with the only speech coming from a computer voice, imitating Stephen Hawking. The use of mime is most effective in the scenes in which the protagonist is shown to be dealing with his disease, his emotions are clear through his actions, and so avoids the sometimes tedious monologues explaining what the protagonist would be going through. To supplement the lack of speech appropriate choices of incidental music are used, influencing the mood.
However, sometimes too much of the play is left to the imagination as the chronology of the production is somewhat vague. It is unlikely that a man who hardly ever leaves his house is receiving physiotherapy in the middle of a tour of Europe - but this is what I was led to believe. In addition, don’t expect to be blown away by Oscar-worthy acting - as it is limited as to what a dummy can do. The puppeteers stay away from the limelight, offering occasionally background sound and the small unspoken part.
The play’s greatest strength is the unique and inventive use of shadow puppetry. Key moments in the play are often explained using shadow puppetry, including the different destinations on the protagonist’s European tour and the explanation of the symptoms of Motor Neurone Disease, which is combined with incidental music to create a moving and explanatory experience.
All in all, ‘Cell’ is a touching piece of artwork that explains the symptoms and effects of Motor Neurone Disease, whilst showing a man’s (or dummy’s) journey of self-discovery as he tries to cope with his newly restrictive life.
