By The Balls Theatre Company present their acclaimed piece Goodbye ‘89 for the third time, this time during the final weekend of VAULT Festival, and it is clear the team have found their rhythm with this slick and powerful production.
On New Years Eve of 1989, a group of young activists are preparing to disrupt the nationwide BBC radio broadcast following the countdown. The women arrive in drips until only Beth is missing, who has a key role to play in the evening’s proceedings, and tensions are running high. There is significant queer representation amongst the group and discussions of the AIDS crisis – typically dominated by gay men – are refreshing to watch played out by an all-female cast.
The company’s collective writing makes for a stellar script which captures both the urgent atmosphere and sense of community between the women well. A range of backstories highlights the intersection of struggles endured and brilliantly demonstrates how government silence can unite the oppressed in a common cause. In its latter half, the piece becomes slightly predictable structurally as each character takes their turn to monologue on their personal struggle and reason for involvement. The dialogue remains astute and powerful, however, and period-appropriate reference points drive home the reality of the situation.
The entire cast completely embody their respective roles and the consistent throwaway remarks between them captures the natural chemistry and spontaneous banter between friends. Michaella Moore is a particular highlight, triggering raucous audience response with her dry and perfectly timed comic offerings, whilst also shouldering Harley’s serious personal concerns in a stoic and resolute way. Ellen Trevaskiss is also a consistent standout as aspiring comedian Staffy. Her quirky energy and slight cluelessness is addictively endearing, which in turn makes her moments of vulnerability all the more hard-hitting.
The company’s stage design features a surprising amount of clutter for a fringe show, including political signs and posters scattered along the back wall. This aptly establishes the time period and lived-in, communal setting of the piece. Simple but effective tech choices, like 80s music quietly playing over the radio, also contribute to this.
Goodbye ‘89 is an artfully written and beautifully performed production which offers a fresh perspective on the political landscape of Britain entering the 1990’s. By The Balls Theatre are doing fantastic and important work; audiences should keep an eye on them.
Reviewed on 19 March 2023
