A wasp is one of those insects that are disliked by many of
us, as they possess many negative traits. This play written by Morgan Lloyd
Malcolm shows us that just like wasps, us humans are capable of these negative
characteristics too.
On the surface, Heather (Charlie Young) and Carla (Debbie
Brannan) couldn’t be more different. Heather is a successful glamorous woman
with a nice house, ‘happily’ married with expensive tastes - all she is missing
is a child. Carla is pregnant with her fifth child and finds it hard to make a
living.
The play starts as the pair meet for the first time since
leaving school. It’s not to reminisce about their school days, but for a
‘business’ deal. Heather witnessed Carla’s behaviour through school and thinks
she is the only one fit to carry out the job. Carla (and the audience) are
taken aback by Heather’s proposition. As the play develops we learn the ladies
have more in common than they care to admit. Both reveal experiences from their
past lives, through fantastic naturalistic acting and dialogue, leading them to
become the people they are today. With Carla her rough upbringing is clear to
see, however Heather’s problems run a lot deeper than that. It’s clear that the
history this pair have is not a pleasant one and went far beyond a bit of name
calling.
There are so many twists and turns that the audience gasp
with each shocking moment. Both Young and Brannan put in powerhouse
performances in this epic two-hander. Although both characters are deranged,
they both do such a great job that their logic somehow becomes reasonable at
times. Young probably just edges it for me as I felt her character went on more
of a journey.
The only negative thing I would have to say about The Wasp
is the staging and the set. The set consists of an array of nets across the
stage. Although these were nice to look at and creative, they unfortunately
spoiled the view for many of the audience. My side of the audience completely
missed the emotion of Carla being tied in the chair, as it was at the opposite
site of the stage and our view was blocked. Otherwise, a truly brilliant and
thought-provoking madhouse of a play.
Reviewer - Eddie Walsh
on - 12/6/18
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