Two woman in their twenties alone on a black stage below street level.
They don’t know each other. But they definitely have one thing in common: hanging around in the waiting room for the therapist. Constance (Libby Waters) starts some small talk. But April (Sophia Trewick) prefers to keep quiet. After all, there will be plenty of time talking with the shrink next door.
For Constance, talking was ‘a focus not a battle.’ April gave a salute but Constance was persistent: ‘what drove you into therapy?’
That is the start of a fascinating performance of ‘I was a Bear’ with minimal props and where moods are communicated by lights and sounds albeit with plenty of dialogue and reflection. There are two empty chairs on stage. It’s not quite theatre or tragedy and it’s not quite stand-up comedy. Yet it does contain a bit of all these elements.
Movement, attitude and dialogue – mixed with soliloquies from our two characters – reveal what is poignant or absurd.
At one point our protagonist may point out ‘you are a bit like my mother’ and then call out ‘Hey! But you ARE my mother.’ Recalling dreams and memories are part of the plot. At another point, they may be reading through their sexual diary. Looks like they could let go of a dull boyfriend but not their therapist. They could talk to Freud about that. But that would be another play!
We learn of the additional role of bananas in one of their sexual diaries. Then there’s the idea of pre-recording your death speech inside that advance purchased coffin. It either adds another voice to complement the celebrant’s speech or pay-back time from the newly deceased. But were they going to keep that pretty toy bear from younger years?
In April’s gap year – on the first day of her period – her eyes had been puffing but she still felt good. Meanwhile, Constance was flying home for her funeral: was she planning to be dead so soon? The two lonely, twenty somethings – still crazy – and yet also still sharing their intimate friendship after all these years.
‘I was a bear’ was written, directed, produced and performed by The Greasy Girls company (Sophia Trewick and Libby Winter).
It’s worth mentioning the venue in the intimate performance space downstairs at the Basement Rooms, in the Walrus pub at 10 Ship Street, May 14th (6.55pm) and May 19th (1.40pm).
Photos: The Greasy Girls and Cameron Cooke
