Writer: David William Parry
Director: Victor Sobchak
One of the most difficult lines to judge for any theatre company is whether the meaning of the show they have carefully developed actually translates to an audience, and while the cast and crew may have a shared understanding filled with narrative shortcuts and in-jokes, until they put that performance on stage, it is impossible to know how universal or relatable it may be. Sadly for Theatre Collection and their bewildering new show Women in Mayhem, the wide-ranging mass of scenes and philosophical reflections proves just too obscure to make sense.
Playing at the Etcetera Theatre as part of the Camden Fringe Festival, Women in Mayhem by David William Parry is a difficult show to quantify and, despite its title, has very little to say about the role of women or difficult scenarios that affect them through the various historical sketches and dimension jumping poetic reflections that form the show. Created as three core chapters, it is never clear to the audience either what each story has to say, why these incidents were chosen or what the collective contribution or outcome ought to be.
By far the longest section is the final piece, a duologue between the a President of Azerbaijan in the mid-1990s in discussion with an unknown woman about his life and achievements. There is an end-of-life tone to this conversation and hints that the character needs to address his record before passing over, resulting in a rather slow and muddled monologue about civil war, loss of national identity and occupation by Armenia.. The woman character is left to sit in the background reading a book while a male voice is given centre stage. But what does it mean?
A similarly oblique scenario plays out in the middle, based on the life of Albert Schweitzer in discussion with journalist James Cameron who arrives like James Bond to Shirley Bassey singing Diamonds Are Forever. Set in 1952, this piece also digs into Schweitzer’s philosophy and record, reflecting on the colonialism that shapes his reputation and also giving a male voice an extended speech. Again, Parry’s writing here is full of elliptical interactions that don’t let the audience inside the story. Without knowing these references, Women in Mayhem would be near impossible to follow because the play offers no summary or way in for the viewer unfamiliar with these people.
What surrounds these stories is also perplexing, reference to a “female pilot,” sci-fi sections using the Star Wars music that talk of the “Empress of the Earth” and a speech about Chinatown which make little collective sense. And audiences are continually confused by music, acted scenes and projected images happening all at once, not sure where our attention should be focused. Although the synopsis for the show claims to examine ‘trans, heterosexual and lesbian women in various worlds’ that is not apparent in a show where women are background characters facilitating men’s stories or odd fantasy creations.
Clear framing would be vital to the development of Women in Mayhem, making the substance of this anthological approach much clearer to the audience but also drawing stronger connections between the different passages, letting us inside the understanding shared by the unnamed cast. Most importantly, women are not supporting players in men’s history and giving them a proper voice in this one is a must.
Runs until 25 August 2024
Camden Fringe runs until 25 August 2025
