Writer: Izzy Tennyson
Director: Izzy Tennyson
Opening in the middle of a presentation that is interrupted by an alpha male and the presenting receiving news of her mother’s death, The Great Ruckus is an exploration of death, grief, and dysfunctional family relationships that offers dark comedy mixed with searing introspection as Jo and Ida navigate their way through a funeral that brings out the worst in an already bad group of people.
Izzy Tennyson who also wrote, directed and drew the artwork that forms the backdrop to the show, plays Jo. There is a nervousness to her performance that may reflect the level of responsibility she has taken on for the show but also sits very well alongside the stresses Jo is facing of dealing with her relatives and her sister as well as planning a funeral presentation, burying her mother and trying to get a job that means she won’t have to work in Waitrose.
In contrast, Ida, played by Grace Chilton is less involved with the funeral preparations, acting more as a would be editor than creator of the presentation, and also questioning Jo’s ambitions for the type of job that her degree from Durham University made her feel would be hers, until she met the more privileged students on her campus. Chilton delivers her lines at a breakneck pace that captures the horrors of dealing with people who are every bit as grotesque as the drawings of them suggests.
Tennyson’s script combines razor sharp observations of relatives actions and siblings reactions. Grandparents, aunts, and their father are pulled apart and forensically dissected with a fast paced wit, while a bigger social commentary and rants against the machine also come out particularly from Jo. The contrast and tension between the two sisters is brought out in Tennyson and Chilton’s depiction of their characters and the interplay between the two of them when they are addressing each other.
It’s questionable whether the play needs the set up of the opening scene, or the distraction of the presentation. The former seems more like a framing technique for the latter, while the latter at times gets in the way of the script and pulls focus from the strength of the writing without adding anything significant to the show.
It feels like there is further work that could be done to really bring out the full potential of the material, but it is still a strong show that’s worth a visit.
Runs until 28 August (not 14th) 2023 | Image: Contributed
The Reviews Hub Score
Sibling rivalry
