Late 20s America. An office. Helen (a wonderfully captivating performance by Nouran Koriem) enters late and is summoned to be reprimanded at the hand of her moustachioed boss. So begins a haunting and brilliant performance of this expressionist piece that ably negotiates both the more abstract and realistic domestic scenes between Helen and her mother.
The ensemble is a joy: interjecting frequently and eloquently, allowing their differing strands of conversation to intertwine, they create a wall of skillfully crafted noise that is supplemented by technical elements. This is obviously a well-rehearsed piece. Every line is placed exactly where it should be and delivered clearly. Even when some lines that are lost, this somehow seems fitting in this marriage between expressionism and realism. The script is very rich and offers great material to work with, and this company have taken full advantage of it. The highly choreographed movements and the cast’s onstage chemistry result in a performance that invests the characters with empathy and believability.
This performance places great emphasis on hands and action. Helen is not in control of her life, a fact aptly represented when costume changes are enacted upon her. This adds poignancy to the final scene in which Helen undresses herself in full view of the audience.
However, this performance was not without problems. There were a number of staging issues, such as two pillars that often obstructed the blocking, as well as several characters delivering near-entire scenes with their backs to the audience. Another issue that should be mentioned is that a nearby venue was unfortunately playing music very loudly and obstructed the performance; the production team are aware of the problem and will resolve it as soon as possible. That being said, I very much enjoyed this play and OUDS have done it true justice. If this is what OUDS can offer, and if they maintain the same directorial standard, I cannot wait to see what their next project is going to be.
