Review: WUDS presents ‘Absurd Person Singular’

Having witnessed a raucously funny rehearsal of the first acts a few weeks ago, I went into this play’s performance with expectations of a relentlessly funny, farcical comedy. What I was met with was a more sensitive and powerful production than I had anticipated.

Absurd Person Singular focuses on three couples, in three acts, with each act taking place on a different Christmas Eve in a different couple’s flat. The focus of each act is one of the women’s addictions: act one on Jane’s cleaning obsession; act two on Eva’s suicidal tendencies; and act three on Marion’s alcoholism.

Rosie’s performance demonstrated the desperation felt by those suffering with a mental health crisis who simply aren’t taken seriously, often because of their gender or class.

In this production, act two was the stand-out act. Eva (Rosie Shufflebotham) spends the whole act in silence (until she begins singing the ’12 Days of Christmas’ at the act’s close), attempting to commit suicide, to the complete obliviousness of all the other characters.

One by one, the others walk into the room and find a problem in the space which isn’t Eva’s mental health. While funny on a level of absurdity, Rosie’s performance demonstrated the desperation felt by those suffering with a mental health crisis who simply aren’t taken seriously, often because of their gender or class.

Sean never held back in his character’s embarrassing, cringe-worthy and physical humour

The trajectory of the play is interesting too; the first act in Sidney’s (Sean O’Driscoll) and Jane’s (Bethan Pitts) flat presents them as wannabe new-money folk, but by the end of the play, they are the most economically successful couple. Ronald (Tom Hammond) and Marion (Louise Fox), along with Jeffrey (Joe Taylor) and Eva, have lost most of their money for one reason or another, and the cast successfully portray the tense, bristly and uncomfortable relationships which these financial downfalls have led to.

A special mention must be given to Sean O’Driscoll’s performance. Despite the frostiness of the audience at times, Sean never held back in his character’s embarrassing, cringe-worthy and physical humour, going as far to cross the stage whilst impersonating a dog. His willingness to utterly embrace his character, warts and all, is truly commendable.

I knew that I was witnessing an impressively strong, brave and courageous group of actors.

My only real criticism of the production would be moments of its staging. There were times when actors were left on-stage alone for minutes at a time, which is a difficult situation in which to comedically entice the audience. There were also moments where no member of cast was on-stage, without any off-stage reassurance to keep the audience in a more comfortable suspense.

But these are just tweaks I would suggest; on the whole, Tanzi Parkinson has managed to balance Ayckbourn’s comedy and commentary very well in her direction of the play. As the lights dimmed on the six actors dancing and yelling around the stage with fruit held between various body parts, I knew that I was witnessing an impressively strong, brave and courageous group of actors.