'The Normal Heart' Theatre review- A Student re-staging of a classic
Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart is a heart-wrenching
important play, dealing with themes of loneliness, mortality and hopelessness
alongside issues of: gay rights, Jewish rights and the AIDS epidemic. Currently
running its latest re-staging at Warwick Arts Centre this review is of the
performance on the 3rd May, the third show in the four-night run. Co-directed
by Aaron Chote and Theotima Ioannou in conjunction with WUDS, the performance
was both honest and powerful, handling the importance of the subject matter
with sensitivity and care.
The Normal Heart takes on the AIDS crisis sweeping New York
in the 1980’s. Following the story of Ned Weeks (Adam Wilmshurst),
the founder of a prominent HIV advocacy group, working to instigate change in an
ignorant and ostracising society. Whilst struggling to hold his position not
only within society but also within the group that he founded, he goes on an
emotional journey with his closeted lover Felix Turner which progresses into a
beautiful yet ugly mess.
The main credits of this production go to Wilmshurst as the lead role as Ned and Tom Fletcher (as
Mickey Marcus) for their compelling, dynamic and excellent performances.
Wilmshurst delivered an emotional and passionate embodiment of Ned. Demanding
our attention as audience members through-out and commanding the action on
stage wherever he was present. From his physical embodiment of the character
through-out to his projection and execution of Ned’s lines, he never broke from
character and made a believable performance of Ned’s aggressive but also
sensitive moments. Fletcher brought light to the performance with his character
and gives the audience some sort of light to hold onto in the upheaval and bleakness
of the play. His energy through-out carried the performance and at times where
the energy seemed to slightly drop, Fletcher would walk into the scene and pick
the energy back up. The second act sees Fletcher’s character Mickey finally be
subdued by the turmoil going on around him. We see the breakdown of this
character which for me was the first time in the performance where it felt
truly heart wrenching. The lightness of
character is then destroyed and we have to face the reality of the bleakness of
this epidemic.
Brilliant acting was also seen from smaller roles such as
Selwin Hulme- Teague as Craig in the opening scenes. His energy, accent,
projection and physicality in these scenes caught our attention from the
beginning, keeping the entire audience engaged and focused on his character. I
enjoyed his performance so much that I wished his character had come back and
that we had got to see more of his portrayal of it. Ellie Leyshon as Dr.
Brookner had a fantastic accent and articulation although she could have
projected more as her voice was often lost against the audio tracks or other
cast members who project more. Guy Jack as Ben Weeks had an excellent scene
with Wilmshurst where we saw the anger and frustration in both characters which
was compelling and was one of the most powerful scenes in my opinion. The
connection between the two as brothers was believable and interesting to watch.
Jack’s outburst within this scene showed a different side to the character
which I think he played well. The most beautiful scene for me was between Felix
and Ned in act 2 where both were struggling to deal with the prolonged process
of Felix dying. This scene is both beautiful and ugly as a darker side of both
Ned and their relationship is shown. There’s name calling and aggression
towards a feeble Felix as he lies- vulnerable across the floor. It feels as if
Ned is attacking him but then it is contrast with elements of love and care. A
shining beacon of commitment to Felix and unconditional love seeps through the
pain and aggression. It was a beautiful mess.
The stage within the play was essentially set up in three
sections. A living room area in the front left corner, a dining room in the top
right and a hospital room/call centre office in the back-right corner. The
layout of this I found cleaver and aesthetically pleasing. Allowing the pace of
the performance to faster due to quicker transitions between scenes and
creating an almost ‘bubble’ like feel to the play which I think worked well
alongside the play’s message. The lighting was also cleverly done, keeping the
central door at the back of the stage almost always lit with each section of
the stage being lit when a scene was placed there. The hospital set had a white
square floor which, when the lighting was shone in that section, created a
clinical atmosphere to that side of the stage which contrasted with the rest of
the lighting of the show. The costumes embodied the 80’s perfectly which not
only help to set the play and the content of when the action was happening but
also helped us to believe that these are men from the 80’s and not university
students from 2019 playing men in the 80’s.
The directing for the show was excellent and you can tell
that the directors worked well together and have formed strong bonds with the
cast. A connection that I think helped strengthen the performance. The audio
recordings from the 80’s used as scene changes were also very effective and
helped to keep the audience both informed and engaged even when nothing was
seemingly ‘happening’ on stage. The transitions were mostly quick and so the
blocking of them must have been efficient. I do however think that some scenes
needed more movement involved as quite a few involved a heavy weight of
‘sitting around’ which made the pace of the show seem to slow down at times. The
play felt very long, with a running time of almost three hours. As an audience
member you were never bored, but you did find yourself itching to stand up and
stretch your legs during the transitions. Whilst I think this is more to do
with the writing than the performance, perhaps more movement and levels within
particular scenes would have helped this. Music was also very effective within
the piece. It helped to pick up the energy at times and kept us engaged as
audience members. It also added humour for example in Felix and Ned’s date
scene and it helped to create atmosphere in the final scenes.
The Normal Heart was a breath-taking performance by incredibly
talented actors and directors. The directors approached the hard-hitting topic
with grace, care and sensitivity which is highlighted through the actor’s
brilliant portrayal of what the epidemic was like in the 80’s. They also
perfectly cast each role, with each actor embodying their character brilliantly-
creating believable and intriguing performances. The audience was highly
tentative through-out showing the captivating nature of the performance. The
dynamic power of the raw emotions felt by the main characters and the
incredible set and costume which accompanies this makes the show a significant
and essential show to watch. Although we’ve come so far it is important to
remember where we started, and this show is a beautiful reminder of how love can
prevail in times of crisis.
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