By: Peripeteia Theatre Company
Writer: Anna Pellegrini
Director: Adam Cachia
Reviewer: Lela Tredwell
This bold, striking play will provoke much discussion around its themes concerning relationships, gender and abuse. At the heart of the piece lies the dehumanising process that takes place in abusive relationships. It cleverly explores this through the ‘eyes’ of a sex doll and it’s interactions with the woman who has bought it for her partner.
Given the subject matter, this could be crude, or even comically handled, but on the contrary, this show explores complex relationship dynamics and doesn’t shy away from depicting the darker side to sex and sexual objects. There are themes explored about what is real, what is love, and what is deeply unhealthy. The handling of issues surrounding attachment and co-dependency is honest and well-conceived.
Strong performances from Juliet Daalder and Hannah McDonald really bring this piece to life. Daalder’s portrayal of the doll is extremely well realised. She manages to successfully convey emotion and empathy through what is largely a static object. The doll’s obsession with ‘Her’ is also very compelling.
‘Her’, played by McDonald, has mixed feelings about the doll and this is conveyed well through the performance. We see her initial hope at having purchased this item for her partner turn to revulsion, anger and hatred. The domestic becomes the political as important parallels are drawn between this piece and competition between women in a patriarchal society.
The doll can also be compared to Frankenstein’s monster in its relationship to its ‘creator’ who has quickly abandoned it. This neglect has led it to desperately seek scraps of attention. A chain of abuse is explored along with how power shifts play a crucial role.
The narrative is generally very well written but there is one part where the story gets muddied with the mention of caring for an ailing father. As all characters, apart from the doll, are nameless, this reference gets confused.
Its inclusion does provide a backstory for ‘Her’ but as it is brief and unclear, it becomes distracting. It is also somewhat unnecessary. She has already described the love-bombing at the start of her relationship. In excluding it, a stronger comment might even be made on how any person might end up in an abusive relationship without having necessarily endured an abusive childhood.
This is a strong ambitious piece of theatre which addresses big themes. It does so with boldness and also compassion. The performances are very good and we come away with much to reflect upon. It engages well with the wider world and deserves to be seen.
Reviewed on 29th May.
