The Girl in the Green Jumper – The Playground Theatre, London

Writer: Gail Louw

Director: Christian Holder

Can a struggling professor living paycheck-to-paycheck truly transition into the illustrious and accomplished artist that has since eluded him? Could he become what he had previously faulted his students for believing in? And is love the key to all this?

Going from part-time teacher, plagued by the reality of a career in the arts, to an artist seeking to make his own waves within the industry, The Girl in the Green Jumper explores these ideas through the story of the painter Cyril Mann and his admirable wife, Renske Mann. Directed by Christian Holder and adapted by Gail Louw from Renske Mann’s autobiographical novel, the play puts special emphasis on the significance of love, strife, and art– amongst many.

Spanning the formative post-war years of the sixties and seventies in London, The Girl in the Green Jumper relays the tumultuous love story of a freshly turned twenty-year-old Dutch-Indonesian girl and a man more than twice her age. Enamoured by the character and beauty of his unique pieces, Renske offers her support, both financially and emotionally, to catapult Cyril into the stardom that she believes he rightfully deserves. As Renske receives promotion after promotion and Cyril expresses a continuous turmoil with the flattery involved with recognition and monetary gain, the different paths that Renske and Cyril find themselves on lie at the heart of the story, controlling the direction that it subsequently takes.

As a two-person performance, Natalie Ava Nasr as Renske and Peter Tate as Cyril easily supply a certain fullness and presence to the stage through their respective performances. Nasr’s range, seen particularly through the metamorphosis of a girl’s youthful naivety into the mature and grounded mentality of a woman, is a noteworthy takeaway from the show. This distinct shift in character elevates the gravity of Renske’s love for a man decades older than her and how such a fixture can bleed into her life and career aspirations as she grows into herself.

Tate’s performance is similarly captivating in its sheer complexity, as he tackles the difficult enigma of Cyril Mann. As a poor, struggling artist attempting to survive in the unforgiving conditions of London, Cyril’s plights resonate through its depiction of working-class life– to a certain extent. While significant in its relatability, the direction the play takes because of Cyril’s projections and mentality transforms the artist into a quite dislikeable character. Tate expertly plays into this notion, successfully fleshing out the complicated person that Cyril Mann was by never shying away from illustrating the uncomfortable and controversial truths of the British painter.

Alongside the impressive performances of Nasr and Tate, The Girl in the Green Jumper’s production team artfully weaves together the strands of biography, art, and theatre. Projecting Cyril’s most memorable pieces in the background of various scenes, the consideration applied to this production is evident. It brings an appreciative truth to the story that amplifies the experience for the audience and brings the play full circle in its relationship to Renske’s memoir and the artwork of Cyril Mann.

There are certainly gaps in the story that could have been addressed, particularly in the events leading up to the closing scene of the play, but given the consideration, expertise, and complex performances applied to the story, The Girl in the Green Jumper is memorable in its exhibition of complicated characters and storylines.

Runs until 24 March 2024