The improvised show A Wake is set in an imagined funeral wake. This is the part of the day where folk gather after the funeral has taken place, in this case the back room of the ‘Hare and Hounds’ pub in Bootle. Prior to the show audience members are asked to fill in a sheet which provides the biographical information used by the company as the stimulus for the show. Over the PA we hear the key elements of a life – Barry Sedgers, strong, born in Bootle, Abba fan and volunteer at the cat and dog rescue centre. One by one the cast enter, and we slowly learn who they are and how they relate to Barry and each other.
What was impressive was how little information you needed to understand the complex web that an individual has, the various connections, encounters and memories that are shared by the gathered mourners. The use of silence aided in building tension, it also allowed space for the audience to contemplate on Barry who we have not met, but now feel closely aligned to. The skill in this work is in the holding back of information, we don’t need to know everything as our imaginations are filling in the blanks.
There is a real beauty in the work, the damaged father and twin son relationship where words are not needed. The tension created between John Bennett and Stephen Longstaffe is palpable, both incapable of truly revealing their feelings until the moment where Bennett reveals he hasn’t been a good father was heartbreaking. Intertwined with this is genuine moments of laughter in which the friends and colleagues share their collective memories across the buffet. One highlight was the revelation of ‘cat racing’ at the shelter by Steve Wallis who has a great comic energy, who with plate in hand was constantly eating throughout.
Chrissi McCarthy, Su Jackson and Diane Jansen are individually very good, collectively the ensemble is excellent, the subtle combinations of energy and the nonverbal playing (subtext) was fabulous. The third scene revealing each person’s inner monologue was both very funny, but also revealed the individual quirks and thoughts are brains have.
The cast were uniformly strong, each listening and adding elements as the five scenes unfold. The simple device of transitioning with a song which is stimulated by the improvised text facilitates the passage of time till closing. The final moment where everyone slightly worse for wear leaves, the full stop on the life of Barry or so we thought. This is the best use of a false ending I have seen in a very long time, the audience started to clap and onstage steps Ollie Wilson a visible counterpoint in both age and look to the rest of the ensemble. He then improvises a stunning monologue as he cleans up the half-eaten sandwiches. He reflects on the various masks that we wear, who sees what and how we hide are real selves from each other. A poignant moment and reminder about the life we lead and the memories we leave behind in others.
This debut show is very good and has the potential to be exceptional, the format is excellent. One minor criticism is that it was too quiet at points making it hard to always hear what’s being said. This is a minor note and one which can be easily resolved. What stands strong is A Wake is very different to the often young, high energy shows that tend to take precedence in improvised work. The work reminded me of Jim Cartwrights ‘Two’ and Caroline Aherne ‘The Royle Family’ – a slice of life made real amongst the buffet.
Reviewed on 22 April 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Powerful
