4 STARS, Oct 10-28. Amanda Hodges discovers the unexpected delights of a surprisingly life-affirming play about depression
As its upbeat title aptly suggests Duncan Macmillan’s refreshingly unusual ‘play’ ( now enjoying its first major London run after international success) focuses heavily on all the wonderful things that the world has to offer which is not what you might initially expect from a work that revolves around the subject of suicide and depression!
As it opens – with full house lights on – the narrator – here effervescently played by Jonny Donahoe – explains the key dilemma: as a seven-year-old boy his mother tries to commit suicide and in response the bewildered child concocts a long list of all the brilliant reasons one might hopefully choose life rather than death.
This could be ‘ice cream’ or ‘water fights’, ‘rollercoasters’ or simply ‘people falling over’, the list reflects the straightforward joys of a young child and inevitably changes with maturity as he adds to it over subsequent years. Adult additions include the likes of 'listening to a record for the first time,' 'hugging' and ' having dessert as a main course'; one of the beauties of this show is that as you listen you begin conjuring your own mental list in tandem with that unfolding onstage.
It’s a highly interactive show from the first- and perfectly suited to The Orange Tree's intimacy in the round- as various audience members are given pieces of paper with both a number and words on it from the list, other people from the front row are drafted in as the show progresses to play key characters in the narrator’s life.
Sometimes this is comic, other times it’s more poignant and the fact that such an approach largely succeeds is down to the warm atmosphere created which never feels judgmental, it’s a collective experience expressing our common humanity. Awkward, yes at times (and sometimes I would have preferred to see a scenario acted out rather than involving an unwary member of the audience) but one can see what the play is trying to achieve and its very much to its credit that it never trivialises its subject or suggests positive thinking alone can solve everything.
Macmillan's skill is that he can deftly tackle such a sensitive and potentially difficult subject in a manner which raises more smiles than tears and this is not to undermine the drama's essentially serious focus which is in providing positive reasons to celebrate our time in this world. Heartfelt, wry and perceptive it's an hour of unexpected and bittersweet delights. that the audience clearly relishes.
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