Writer: Clare Norbun
Director: Nick Renton
Lighting Designer: Lizzie Gutteridge
Performed by: The Telling
This passionate performance by The Telling merges concert and storytelling. It weaves together beautiful music, largely from the traditions of Sephardic Jewish songs and Alfonso’s Cantigas de Santa Maria, with the story of a Jewish woman forced to leave her homeland due to religious intolerance. It’s a very moving experience that captures the imagination, as well as connects the audience to the devastation caused by persecution, exile, and loss.
Many of the chosen songs are ones of loving and longing, and date back to after the Spanish Jews were expelled from their homeland by Catholic rulers Ferdinand and Isabella. This performance really brings to life the pain of leaving behind the many stories that are built into the fabric of a land and how being torn from your home is also being wrenched away from so much culture, tradition, and history.
The action is set in 1492, but many other stories are told from different eras and these flow together. Sometimes it is difficult to follow during what era the tales are taking place and the relation they have to the main character, Blanca (Suzanne Ahmet). If a cohesive narrative is what you need, this show may be more of a challenge with which to engage. However, there is fluidity to the storytelling which you can just relax into. If you allow yourself to go with the flow and become lost, you can feel you are being bounced about through history in a way that is poignant. It shows the seemingly timeless pain of religious intolerance and the general heartbreak of how humans insist on hurting one another. When the voice of Queen Isabella (Patience Tomlinson) sounds out from offstage, it has a future dystopian state vibe that contributes yet further to the timelessness of the piece as a whole.
Given the cryptic nature of the narrative, the show could really benefit from a more defined visual set to place us confidently within Blanca’s home. Changing coloured lights help create an atmosphere, but otherwise, the backdrop is a large plain white wall. Considering the importance of place to this production, a stronger visual sense of it would really help ground us and may even contribute to the sense of loss. However, overall, this performance powerfully explores anti-Semitism and enforced migration throughout the ages. Movement and dancing are a welcome part of the show, along with animated expressions and passionate delivery. The music is expertly created by Joy Smith on harp and percussion, Giles Lewin on an Arabic oud, and Lizzie Gutteridge on the recorders. The songs are sung exquisitely by Clare Norburn and Maya Levy. There is even a recital after the interval from a group they have been teaching some traditional songs to during the day. There is a strong sense of community woven through this experience, and these stirring voices must be heard.
Reviewed on 23rd May 2023
The Reviews Hub Score
Passionate, powerful performance
