The Exqusite Corpse

The Exqusite Corpse
Southwark Playhouse
True/fiction theatre company
Director – Matt Peover
5th -30th May

Reviewed by Rachel Sheridan for the British Theatre Guide

Most of us have played a game of consequences at some stage. You draw a head, fold the paper over then pass it on to someone who draws the torso who then folds it over and passes it to someone who draws the legs etc, revealing a rather unusual creation at the end. The surrealists called this game Le Corpse Exquisite which is the inspiration for true/fiction Theatre Company’s The Exquisite Corpse. However rather than a piece of paper in this instance it is scenes written by various writers which are performed in a different order each night.

On paper this sounds incredibly unique and exciting. Five writers have individually written scenes in isolation. There are reoccurring themes such as death and water as some writers were inspired by the same materials but ultimately they stand alone and come together to create one piece. As the audience are waiting to go into the theatre they are surrounded by objects which represent each scene. The audience are free to move these objects around, thus determining the order that these scenes will play in, therefore each performance is completely unique. As I said this sounds great on paper however the execution of it is another matter.

Surrealist work often features the element of surprise with unexpected juxtapositions. They present a distorted version of the world in order to reveal the truth. However the problem with The Exqusite Corpse lies in the difficulty to derive any meaning from what you are seeing. Yes there are a motife of reoccuring themes, the peformances are good and there really are some nice little scenes however as a piece it feels very disconnected and ultimatley somewhat pointless.

Director Matt Peover discusses the infinate possibilites in which the scenes may unfold, yet even if the scenes were told in the same order every night the piece would remain illogical. Believe me I am not desperate to see a linear narrative with a beginning, middle and end, in fact it would perhaps be more interesing to take a piece of theatre written with a linear narrative and let the audience jumble those scenes up every night to see what emerges. However when the scenes are already detached from one another as they are with this piece, aside from it being a great challenge for the peformers, little extra is added by mixing them up.

One may think I am missing the point of The Exqusite Corpse and that the very nature of the piece is that it be non-sensical. It is true that the Surrealist movement did not concern itself itself with logical reason or thought, however they did wish to ignite passion in those who witnessed its works and sadly The Exqusite Corpse, despite some interesting moments fails to keep that flame alive.

Lithuanian Triple Bill

Lithuanian Triple Bill:

The One That Hurt the Most by Gabriele Lababauskaite
The Doll by Dovile Katiliute
Goodbye My Love by Marius Macevicius

Arts Printing House

Southwark Playhouse

7th January 2008 – 26th January 2008

Reviewed by Rachel Sheridan for The British Theatre Guide

“Get carried away with your imagination. Live up in your dream-trees and come down only to harvest your ideas” is one of the ten commandments of the arts printing house currently working in association with the Southwark Playhouse presenting the Lithuanian Festival.

Set up in 2002 in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, the Arts Printing House nurtures its young artists in a safe haven where they can experiment, discover and ultimately strive for change to create new and uncompromising work.

The festival sees the collaboration of not only theatre but also film, art, music and design which intends to make a connection with a British audience with whom Lithuanian artists have previously felt disconnected from.

As a self confessed novice to Lithuanian theatre, I admit I was unsure as to what to expect from this trilogy of work (of which The One That Hurt The Most and Goodbye My Love were performed). Two very different plays dealing with both personal and economic progress in a post Soviet Lithuania, bought to life the difficulties of shaking off Lithuania’s communist legacy in an attempt to confirm to European Union standards.

Exploring the lives of a group of gay friends, disconnected from a homophobic society, one could argue that The One That Hurt the Most was old hat. Haven’t we seen the trials and tribulations of a marginalised, homosexual society presented time and time again as we witness the trauma of coming out to friends and family, the discrimination they endure and the effects of HIV on their community. The answer is yes, our cosmopolitan British audience are very accustomed to this topic, however to Lithuanians this is in fact very relevant and raw in a society where two thirds of the population claim they would rather have a drug dealer as a neighbour than a homosexual. Consequently The One That Hurt the Most felt anything but dated; in fact it felt very current and poignant.

Labanauskaite’s has created a vibrant group of characters bought to life by a talented cast. The performances are primarily truthful and real. Even characters who initially seem like stereotypes, such as Blue (Daniel Abelson), the heartbreaking queen who glides about the stage has depth to him, revealing fears and insecurities. Or Schnittke (Steven Beard) the aging gay man in his pink nightgown and matching lipstick. His costume is almost incidental to Beard’s melodramatic interpretation of a man who lives his life as if it were a performance, too scared to be himself.

As their lives are gradually turned upside down one can’t help but realise the importance and courage of such a play that gives a voice to this group pf people, silenced by public discrimination.

Goodbye My Love, whilst on the surface a play about capitalism in a post Soviet Lithuania, is more a play about relationships and family ties, speaking to all, regardless of cultural upbringing.

Antanas is reunited with his Mother, Birute, as she visits Lithuania from her seemingly wonderful life in Scotland where she lives with her Turkish lover. But we are soon questioning if life is as glamorous as Birute would have you believe.

Daniel Abelson in a total departure from his role as Blue is exquisite as the poor, long suffering son of Birute. However Macevicius’s dry and quick witted writing is let down by Valerie Gogan’s portrayal of Birute. The writing suggests this is a character who is as up and down as a yo-yo and her verging on manic personality has been the bane of her son’s life. Whilst Gogan certainly presented an entirely intolerable woman her performance lacked any colour or variation. Constantly on the same level Gogan seemed to adopt the technique of if in doubt, just shout.

Ultimately this is a play speaking volumes about manipulation of one human over another and from the privileged position of an audience member I couldn’t quite decide who I felt more sorry for?

The Southwark Playhouse with its industrial space and slightly damp walls is ideal for showcasing these new plays, the occasional sound of the trains only adding to the raw, vibrancy of this work. If this is a taste of what we can look forward to from these emerging Lithuanian writers then I certainly wait with eager anticipation of what is to come from a country whose voice is now being well and truly heard.