Writer: James Rowland
Director: Jonathan Humphreys
Past relationships are often complicated and never more so than with ourselves. In this moving story of family, writer and performer James Rowland grapples with what it means to be. To be a son. To be a brother. When faced with confronting his past James must deal with his grief, but there is joy and humour too, as well as whiskey, and chicken burgers. Shakespeare also plays a part as James explores, with the words and struggles of Hamlet, what it is to be human.
Earlier this year while touring, James received a letter with an unexpected, not entirely welcome, invite to visit his past. Dick, his dad’s cheerfully gruff and loud best friend is asking to see him. James is reluctant. His relationship with Dick is complicated. James’s connection with his dad even more so. James decides to go, and what he discovers marks the start of a personal journey of loss, remembrance, and reconciliation. As James recalls memories of his father, he shares with us also something that is happening to his brother Chris, who has his own difficult relationship with Dick. Chris is struggling. His mental health is not good, and the question of suicide is prevalent.
James embraces this scary stuff with care and kindness. As a performer, he immediately disarms us with an impish smile and glorious heartfelt laughter. He dances around the stage half dressed, burly and bushy-bearded, “I look like a shit Norse”, and then suddenly, he stops. A suspended moment. With the flick of his wrist, a feather falls, and we are in Hamlet’s world.
This is what Rowland does so beautifully. He blurs the line between self and performer, storytelling, and theatre. The set design is simple. A table and chair. In one corner a heap of clothing, a rucksack, a book he’s reading – The Examined Life. The stage lights remain partially working so both Rowland and much of the audience are in view of each other. At various points, James must leave the stage to change the lights. There is no live music this time, but there are recordings especially well-placed to capture the heart of this story.
Ever the consummate storyteller, every aside, pause and hesitation is considered with crafted precision. Images pepper his memories. Children in puddles with mist and rainbows. Duck ponds dry and empty of water. The story itself does not cover a great distance, but the inner journey is vast, a poignant metaphor that James captures as he unfolds various maps throughout the performance. His Dad, although not a central character is captured in an iconic image of Hamlet. And at one point James stands on an enormous map of Britain and in a story of fragmented family one cannot help but see a connection to Shakespeare’s volatile Lear. James embodies his dad’s friend with a largess of life, but Chris sounds and acts no different than James. It’s an arresting difference.
And, if you think you’ve heard enough of Hamlet, James forces you to listen again. The familiar words of the well-worn literary hero are here delivered simply. Hitting the alliterations and rhythms as though the words were written as a part of Rowland’s show.
Interestingly, this performance is audio described by Rowland while he is performing, and so a prologue (likely not usually performed) opens the evening where James describes what he looks like, what he is wearing, what is on stage as well as what he will be doing. It’s a clever artifice capturing the idea of Hamlet’s play within a play. In fact, at one point Rowland reminds us that he is a performer. “This is not therapy. If we believe his pain, it is because he is good at what he does”. Yes, he is. For Rowland, the play is the thing.
Runs until 14 October 2023
The Reviews Hub Score
The play is the thing
