Red Roses Chain - Southwark Playhouse Borough
Written by: Joanna Carrick
Puritans, witches and the supernatural. An insane amount of research has gone into creating a 17th century image of England before your eyes.
Could having an intimate relationship out of wedlock lead to multiple children dying just after birth or is it the curse of a witch?
Newly wedded couple: Susan Edwards, played by Nadia Jackson and Richard Edwards, played by Christopher Ashman are tirelessly searching for the reason why every time they give birth to a child their baby dies soon after. Is God punishing them for the sin of being intimate before getting married? Mysterious brother, Matthew, played by Vincent Moisy who is devoted to God and his religion, reminds the couple of the importance of following God and the punishment of sin. However, there is more sinister goings on in the village of Mistley and their Neighbours hiding a dark secret from the Edwards couple. Witchcraft is being practiced and it is Matthew's role to purge the sin from the village to save the future generations. Are they doing the right thing by hanging the witches for their sin?
It's difficult to fault any areas of this piece, a mass of consideration has gone into the producing, writing and acting. It is a historical experience and it is incredibly impressive how much attention to detail has gone into achieving the accuracy of the Renaissance Period. It is an impeccable experience. No item on the stage feels out of place or irrelevant to the time period. The couple live in a rural home; the wooden furniture, brooms, mud, wicker and a patterned rug gives the impression of the 17th century and it feels like you are in a farmers home. One beautiful element is the use of lighting to project reflections of the windows of the home, the church and the bars of imprisonment. Their use gives the impression of the imprisonment of the characters, as they are chained to their lives and society's/religion's views. If you don't you go against the views; you could be a witch. Do you know what happens to witches?
Actors portray the most entrancing character development. Vincent Moisy's performance is unique and his development is crystal clear. He joins the Edwards household at the beginning of the show and he stutters, mumbles and struggles to get words out; shows his lack of confidence. He finds his confidence and clarity as a character as the piece goes on, as he gets more absorbed by his religion; Protestantism (during this period of time), he becomes more extreme towards the end and moves to a more Puritanical view. He slowly adds to his costume scene by scene. A brilliant design choice: he adds leather boots and a cloak for example and this appears similar to the Puritan attire worn in early 17th Century England.
The Edwards couple, played by Nadia Jackson and Christopher Ashman gave a compelling performance, the emotion shown by Nadia Jackson was gutting to the audience. She clearly showed the agony experienced by her character losing a child and it is chilling. The couple have a wholesome chemistry, they clearly embody a farm couple, a lot of attention is given to their movements and posture. Particularly the husband, he his posture is hunched at times and he walks with purpose. This shows his hardworking background and how he provides for the pair. The acting is incredible, the only fault is the West-Country accent that is attempted, and in moments the characters slip in and out of this accent, it does not feel natural and feels forced. Whilst it adds to the environment they are showing, it takes the audience out of the 17th Century world and reminds them its a show.
Overall, this is an extremely strong piece of theatre and is one to watch. The attention to the historical accuracy is admirable, it is also something the audience can leave the theatre having learnt something about what 17th Century England was like and the religious views. It feels important for the piece to thrive to help remind everyone of where we have come from and what was here before us. A moment that stuck with me was when one of the characters empties his mud from his shoe on to the dining table and the wife wipes it off with the tissue, it reminded me of how people of the time were unaware of germs and how lack of hygiene can impact health. That moment made me think about how difficult it was to live in the time period, with the dirty surroundings and lack of medical knowledge. A very significant moment to the play, reminding the audience of the knowledge of the time and how missing this led them to thinking religion or witchcraft could be the reasoning behind illness, not the state of the world around them. If you love a bit of history, this is the show for you!
Get your tickets: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/the-ungodly/
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