Forgive me for being more than a little vague about this show, but it 's definitely a show that's best seen without knowing too much about it. If you are considering seeing it all you need to know is that it is a quality piece of theatre with two great performances. If you've already seen it, and just want to compare notes then feel free to read on...Seriously, if you haven't seen the show yet but are planning to, just stop reading now.
Emily Taaffe excels at bringing captive Cora back to life as the story unwinds in reverse. The transformation is almost unbelievable given that there's no time off stage for physical assistance - although I think some clever lighting helped. John Stahl as her captor doesn't face quite the same challenge but impresses with a chilling performance that encompasses tenderness and brutality.
Writer Louise Welsh has carefully crafted the piece to gradually reveal its secrets and for the most part these are well executed verbally, however, some of the prop based time markers didn't seem to be used as effectively as they might have been resulting in the confusion lasting longer than perhaps necessary. But then, having seen a production of the play last year I went into this with very different eyes from most others, so I may not be best placed to judge. For those encountering the play for the first time, this is undoubtedly a striking and memorable piece of theatre.
Memory Cells runs at 5:20pm daily until 30th August (excluding the 24th) at the Pleasancedome
Image used with permission.
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