REVIEW: A WOMAN ON FIRE at Barons Court Theatre 7 - 11 Sep

“A bold production that captures the distress of some complex themes in a captivating fashion” ★★★

After picking up a Standing Ovation award nomination for their debut production at the Camden Fringe Festival, Quid Pro Quo theatre company are back with their second offering, A Woman On Fire. Set in the 1950’s, the play tackles a number of challenging themes and, while there are areas for improvement, they help facilitate some intense and dramatic scenes which ultimately deliver an overall enjoyable experience.

From the moment the audience enters the theatre there is a sense of discomfort provided by some eerie lighting and our protagonist Harper, played by Sarah Majland, self-intoxicating and sprawled out under a table. With time we understand that Harper likely suffers from postpartum depression which leads to ordeals in her personal life, marriage and career. Her situation is further exacerbated by her husband Mark’s concealed homosexuality and his desire to leave her for his lover, Oliver. There is little respite from the uneasiness throughout with an intentional claustrophobic feeling which maintains a high level of engagement.

The Barons Court Theatre’s enclosed stage is extremely fitting for a production which aims to create a pressure cooker environment in the way A Woman On Fire does. Director Casper Aagaard uses the small space efficiently with the same table and benches used for the variety of settings. Even with such a minimalist set, together with a superb composition of 50’s music by Öncel Camci (who also plays Oliver), there is a definite sense of the era which is a vital component for the topics at large.

Majland, who is also the playwright, does a commendable job of bringing the emotional requirements for the role of Harper. She not only manages to portray the despair and heartache of the character’s condition but also the forced euphoria when feigning her ability to handle it. There are also a couple of more tender monologues which she gracefully slips in and out of which let us understand how Harper is truly feeling. It’s a little unfortunate that there are not more of these as they allow the play to breathe and give Harper some depth that the more intense moments lack.

Majland is aided by some solid performances from the supporting cast. Boyan Petrov’s Mark exhibits the necessary restraints needed for a character that feels trapped in a world not of his choosing and you can sense the internal struggles that he faces. Camci’s lurking stage presence and nonchalant facade is a constant reminder of Oliver’s intrusion in Harper’s life and his ability to derail it. Finally, Chloe Winney, in the role of nanny Therese, adds a layer of energetic youth and innocence which is frequently sought after in such a dark production.

The intensity of the scenes could not be upheld without a script that manages to tap into each of the characters’ conflicts. Majland does a fine job of drawing these out and having them unravel on stage, notably when there are less characters involved. At times though it does feel as if everything plays out on the surface and there is certainly scope for some of the issues being faced to be a little more subtle, especially as one of the main themes being explored is the inability of being able to talk about them.

Even at a running time of just over two hours, the play never feels like it is being dragged out. That being said, the characters of Oliver and Therese seem a little underdeveloped and perhaps a little tightening of the script in other places elsewhere would allow room for these roles to provide more substance. There are also times when Harper’s motivations are somewhat unclear, and she becomes almost passive to the other character’s actions. Although this does emphasise the confusion and anguish in her life, it does inhibit the play from feeling as if it is moving forward, particularly in the first act.

A Woman On Fire is a bold production that captures the distress of some complex themes in a captivating fashion. There are definitely areas of the story which could be refined but, as an example of the relevant and engaging storytelling that Quid Pro Quo aims to create, this play highlights once again the potential of this young company.

Read our interview with Quid Pro Quo company here

A Woman On Fire at Barons Court Theatre 7 - 11 Sep

Box Office A Woman on Fire by Sarah Majland | Barons Court Theatre



Quid Pro Quo Theatre Company on Twitter: @QuidProQuoTHTR

Written by Sarah Majland

Directed by Casper Aagaard

Cast

Harper: Sarah Majland

Mark: Boyan Petrov

Oliver: Öncel Camci

Therese:  Chloe Winney

Reviewed by John Montgomery