Review: SOBRIETY ON THE ROCKS by Renee Buckland / Edinburgh preview at Bread and Roses Theatre 21 – 23 July
‘A slick show with a strong visual impact’ ★★★★★
A Tad Kiwi Productions present their one-woman show by Renee Buckland who is also the performer. Inspired by real events, it’s about an alcoholic who is involved in a drink/driving accident. It’s refreshing to see a new young company covering the subject of alcoholism, so rarely explored, with real depth and maturity.
There are some outstandingly original theatrical elements to the piece. Without any need for fancy set, the drama is developed with strong physical theatre emanating from the Kiwi aspect of the company. The Moari Haka is deployed here in several ways. Firstly, it gives a fierce expression of the alcoholic’s battle with alcohol, the impulse against good sense to have that next drink. Secondly, it is used to delineate the characters.
There are four characters in the play who all give witness to their own stories; the alcoholic, the wife, the son and the paramedic on the scene, all nimbly played by Buckland. In the first scenes each character is introduced several times at considerable speed, with a clever physical device to alert the audience to the change. It settles down once we have grasped who is who. Buckland gives each their own body language and there’s a depth of characterisation which allows us to know immediately who is speaking.
For anyone who has ever been touched by alcoholism their stories hit a nerve, they speak nothing but the truth. It is very moving. There’s no judgement here. Just really really great theatre.
Sound and lighting, augment the strong visual impact of the actor’s performance, adding a sense of excitement. It’s a slick show, very well directed by Tadeas Moravec, who keeps up a break-neck pace whilst also giving complete clarity to the story.
Highly recommended.
SOBRIETY ON THE ROCKS
Bread and Roses Theatre
21 – 23 July
Edinburgh Festival
15 – 20 August
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on#q=%22Sobriety%20on%20the%20Rocks%22
Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMWJ3hyJB2w
Reviewed by Heather Jeffery, Editor of London Pub Theatres Magazine
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