REVIEW: Baby, What Blessings at Park Theatre 5 and 7 May 2022

‘captivating monologue'★★★★

In this captivating monologue, Billie (GRAINNE DROMGOOLE) is a young girl in university when she develops an infatuation with Amal, a cool young man who happens to be Black. Through her perspective, we are given an incisive look at university student relationships, platonic female friendships as well as the vicissitudes of modern dating. Even as Billie pursues Amal, she displays a great self-awareness. She lists her own characteristics (even the not-so-pleasant ones), recognizes her own bourgeoisie background, and admits that she asks a lot of questions to manipulate others into imagining familiarity.

The story opens with how Billie becomes friends with Poppy by having an engaging conversation about a sexual position. Yet, Poppy isn’t the real focus of the story. It is Amal, who does become her boyfriend… eventually. The story is really about him. Billie confesses that she truly didn’t ‘see colour’; and she didn’t say this in a proud way, but in recognition that she should have seen colour and the vastly opposite experience of those who live different lives in darker skin. She had to learn that even as a woman, she doesn’t own the title of World’s Most Oppressed and she cannot fully understand the experience of walking through the world as a Black man. With Amal, she couldn’t manipulate him into closeness.

With only a bed on the stage, Dromgoole makes great use of the space, directing her vision to different parts of the auditorium, starting by standing on the mattress and later, lying on it at different angles. It gave the sense of hearing a very intimate story. And it is. My favourite description may be the poetry competition where Amal is the only Black person and he gets fist bumped. Brief courage was employed to take on voices of minor characters, such as her own parents when meeting Amal, but usually not more than a line or two.

The lighting seemed poorly executed, at times hiding Dromgoole’s face. I chalked that up to it being a festival and a space that may be constantly shifting for other shows, but I wasn’t certain.

With this year’s production of For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy at the Royal Court, there is a growing awareness of the need to build awareness about the mental health crisis in young black men. I’m pleased to see this demonstrated in the form of a monologue, even if told through the lens of a young white woman.

Three sisters (no, not the play) collaborated on writing, direction and performance of this piece. I cannot wait to see more from these talented young ladies. Indeed, what blessings are to come?

Baby, What Blessings at Park Theatre (Come What May Festival) 5 and 7 May 2022

Written by Siofra Dromgoole

Performed by Grainne Dromgoole

Directed by Caroline You

Produced by Mimi Pattinson

Production Manager: Tabitha Piggott

Associate Director: Cara Dromgoole

Twitter @3sisterstheatre

Reviewed by Mariam Mathew