Aneline Wood & Grace Morrell
Machinal, the last play to be directed by Charlotte Reay, is meant to be a full-circle moment – the theatre play that got the president into theatre, and directing, to begin with. The vision was fully realised: the emotional rollercoaster the performance induced was almost overwhelming and a testament to the incredible talent of the actors.
The comedic relief, however, perfectly captures the inane ridiculousness of the courtroom
Whilst some members are new to the NNT, no one feels like a weak link at any point. All four actors involved with the opening, Molly Squires, T Kenyon, Alex Vale and Eleni Hadji-Sawa, were all impeccable in their own rights. Special mention to Quinn Friedrich and Mackenzie Conroy in their main scene later on (the court scene), with their apparently automatic instinct in rehearsals to start shoving each other, which made for the most hilarious moment.
Abbie Foster as Young Woman was absolutely mesmerising, watching her fear and agony at being constantly misunderstood was harrowing. Really, there’s no other way to put it. Charlie Higginson’s characterisation of The Husband really draws you into the misogynistic outlook of the time (the time period being the 1920s). Each word that the husband says is immaculately in character, drawing a laugh out of the audience.
Three actors who come later on into the play are Immy Sykes (the young girl’s mother), Trixie Lawrence (the nurse who helps the doctor) and Jimmy Pays (the doctor who delivers the young girl’s baby). All three actors do not hold back, especially Immy Sykes, who pushes the boundaries of tension with Abbie perfectly, in the two scenes where their rocky relationship is brought to light. The way in which both Trixie and Jimmy acted within their main scenes brought out many emotions in us both. Anger had risen in us both as the Young Woman was completely dismissed and so clearly seen as a birthing machine rather than herself is something that will most likely resonate with all women (which, in all honesty, shows a testament to Jimmy and Trixie’s acting wholeheartedly).
We couldn’t go forth (however) without mentioning Tristan Ncube, whose role is just called The Man. When talking to Tristan’s friend, we discovered that his character is apparently nothing like who he is in person – and we could not tell! The utter joy that came over us when we saw The Young Girl and The Man meet was frankly ridiculous. The acting during which she completely opened up when she met someone she actually connected with. The chemistry between these characters was utterly insane. Genuinely, no one can convince us that they are not in love.
A scene we absolutely adored was the courtroom scene, where Quinn Friedrich and Mackenzie Conroy: their chaotic turnabout was both comedic and tense as you watch, knowing the impending doom of the young woman. The comedic relief, however, perfectly captures the inane ridiculousness of the courtroom, the most harrowing moment of a woman’s life reduced to pomp and a show of male pride. What caught us both off guard was the choice to have both the actor of her husband and her lover bring on evidence, which was incredibly effective as, if even possible, it worsened the feeling of betrayal. When we found out that he had testified against her, the one person she thought she could trust, the audience was left in utter shock.
In fact, many of the audience couldn’t look as we saw the shadow of her being electrocuted
It should be mentioned that the set, sound and lighting were described as the most ‘challenging yet’ for NNT, which can most definitely be seen, and they pushed themselves brilliantly. Props should be made to the set designers (Kalista Vordos and Ansa Mitchell) and stage managers (Isabel Barros, Shanti Solomon, Bhavneeta Khodiyar and Liz Davis): the vision was effortlessly made. Also, props to everyone involved with moving the staging about: it was done with little to no pauses whatsoever – almost like clockwork! The lighting (Willow Darkins) and sound (Isabel Ilett and Paola Rodríguez Feo) decisions were also masterful. We loved the recurring theme of distressing scenes viewed as shadows through the screen, alongside the typing during the court scene. It perfectly added to the mounting tension: the echoing and strobe lights were also highly effective, creating an eerie and, at times, distressing viewing experience.
A particular scene within the lighting design that had us on the edge of our seats was the slowly moving crooked cross in the final scene. Adding onto the Latin chanting, it perfectly symbolised the bureaucracy of religion. This, along with the human clacking sounds, was the final touch to complete the menacing environment and emphasise the depravity and callousness with which Young Woman was treated. The terror was palpable; this sinister feeling was created exceptionally. In fact, many of the audience couldn’t look as we saw the shadow of her being electrocuted.
So many of her lines resonated (even for its time) and felt like a truly universal feminine experience
Finally, it goes without saying that the costuming and makeup (Emily Moseley) played really well into the already bold and highly strong play. All but Young Woman were wearing harsh, cold, blacks, greys and whites with bold makeup and ridiculously sharp cheekbones for the masculine characters. Her clothes, on the other hand, were much warmer-toned and softer, as was her makeup. Whether or not it was intentional, the ladder tight was the perfect detail, trying desperately to conform and yet falling short.
Everything about the way Sophie Treadwell crafted Machinal is perfect, and it shines with the way it’s portrayed here. Despite the inherently surrealist nature, everything about the characters is so real and believable. As an audience, one totally understands why she did what she did. The character truly could be any one of us women. So many of her lines resonated (even for its time) and felt like a truly universal feminine experience.
You wouldn’t be able to tell this was a student-led play, because it only pumps out strong scene after strong scene — each set choice feels intentional, all the shadows consuming one another. For the director’s last hurrah, it is so much more than just a machine.
Aneline Wood & Grace Morrell
Featured image courtesy of Andrew Phillips via Flickr. Image use license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In-article photos courtesy of @machinal.nnt via Instagram. No changes were made to these photos.
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