REVIEW: Spanish Oranges at The Playground Theatre until 7 March 2026
‘an intense subject treated refreshingly, with light-heartedness, crafty humour, and a passionate search for meaning’ ★★★★
Firstly brought to the stage in the Women’s Voices Festival at the Playground Theatre, ‘Spanish Oranges’, a new & first play by French-born writer Alba Arikha, and directed by Myriam Cyr, dissects the inevitable complexity of married life within today’s society, its norms, imbalances and flaws.
As we enter the theatre, we are transported immediately into Arikha’s world by the impressive set design (by the talented Livi Carpenter) that reflects the couple perfectly. A beautiful middle-class interior with warm colours trapped in a mountain of cardboard boxes, filled with secrets and mysteries, keeping our eyes wandering, in search of answers.
As the play unfolds, we meet Fiona (Maryam d’Abo), an acclaimed writer about to release her new book ‘Spanish Oranges’ and Ivo (Jay Villiers), a famous actor whose career has taken a turn after late accusations of sexual harassment. Their recent move, which seems to be bruising Ivo’s ego, is accompanied by an upcoming interview with an important journalist for Fiona’s book release, to which Ivo objects, convinced it’s a trap to drag his reputation further down. This is an intelligent reflection on the inevitable dilemmas within the power dynamics of these two artists: when the man, finding himself in an insecure position, puts a mirror up to a form of internalised and normalised sexism, clearly apparent in this couple’s life.
From the very beginning, we are 100% behind Fiona. Maryam d’Abo, with her excellent subtlety and wit, makes us deeply empathise with her character. She endures her husband’s patronising tone, yet takes time to comfort and reassure him, listening to his worries, valuing his opinions. While he blames her of being selfish and absent, the tables turn quickly when their daughter Lydia (played with powerful energy by Arianna Branca) appears to demand explanations, suddenly being the real adult in the room.
‘What’s wrong with diversity and humanity?’ Fiona asks her husband. ‘Everything.’ He replies. That line alone reflects the current disconnect between heterosexual men and women when faced with politics. Somewhere along the way something was lost in their relationship but neither of them can pin what exactly. Fiona accuses her husband of being violent and unhappy, and that she misses the ‘old Ivo’, while he resents her for putting her career before her family. But maybe the issues lie deeper. An ingrained sexism that we cannot seem to get rid of. Do men feel scared? Do they feel like they are losing control? Is Ivo intimidated by Fiona’s success, and cannot comprehend how she could build of life of her own outside of her family? Is that why he ends up ‘resenting her for dreaming’? Ivo, even though sharing admiration towards her book, keeps repeating he doesn’t understand it. Is that coming from a place of jealousy, or can he not grasp the freedom Fiona aspires for? Her need to write this novel is maybe an allegory to her dilemma. Does she believe he didn’t commit sexual harassment? Is she sure of her decision to stand by him? Does she want more in life? Is she the one ‘in search of beauty’? Fiona seems to be replaying her life constantly, both before our eyes and within her book, ‘Spanish Oranges’.
This endlessly intense subject treated refreshingly, with lots of light-heartedness, crafty humour, and a passionate search for meaning, makes this play a definite a must-see.
Spanish Oranges by Alba Arikha, directed by Myriam Cyr
The Playground Theatre, 8 Latimer Road, London, W10 6RQ
11 February – 7 March
BOX OFFICE https://www.theplaygroundtheatre.org.uk/projects/spanish-oranges-
Actors -
Maryam D’Abo
Jay Villiers
Arianna Branca
Production images: cCounterminers
