‘don’t forget the birds’, (un-capitalised) directed by Laura Lindow, is a harrowing, entertaining and thought provoking piece which tells the ‘true story of a how prison took a mother from a daughter and their heart-lifting journey to find each other again’. It was first commissioned in 2016 as part of a highly successful collaboration between Open Clasp Theatre company, which seeks to create theatre informed by ‘women disenfranchised in theatre and society’ and Live Theatre, which ‘has an international reputation as a new writing theatre’. The result of this is once again, a truly great piece of theatre. The performers in the show, Cheryl and Abigail Byron, are real life mother and daughter and, as revealed to the audience, are the inspiration for the piece too. Their connection to the story and each other is what makes the performance truly enthralling to watch: there is an honesty behind their words that does not go amiss and this showcases the bond between parent/child which most audiences can relate too.
The show, which runs for approximately one hour with no interval, begins as Cheryl steps out of the gates at HMP Low Newton, ready to begin her new life with her family - only to find that everything has changed. What follows is a comedic, yet sometimes devastating series of ‘moments’ which show mother and daughter trying to find each other in a ‘new world’ whilst making sense of their past. It is an artful mix of dialogue, recollection, movement and song and the piece was written by Catrina McHugh MBE after a series of interviews with Cheryl and Abigail conducted in 2016 after Cheryl’s release from prison. As a result of this, the script reads almost like a transcript of those interviews - audio sometimes plays over movement on stage and their conversations intertwine and move away from each other as they were conducted separately. Interestingly, both performers also carry the script with them on stage, despite it being clear that it is not needed or even to jog their memory of lines. The effect of this, I believe, suggests that they are almost ‘reporting’ the story to the audience, they are reading directly from the transcript of their lives - leaving nothing unsaid. The style of the piece means that the audience gets to see both perspectives at once, and though they vary wildly, they always find their way back together, to one moment - to one last look at each other through the prison door.
Verity Quinn, who designed the set, achieved the perfect mix of elegance and simplicity in the staging of the production - it was in tune with both the script and style of performance. The stage consisted of two boxes, two chairs, and a wide door frame and allowed for transitions from one ‘place’ to the next to run smoothly. The talent of performers and strength of the script meant that the audience never felt lost, we always knew where we were supposed to be. Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the set, however, was the incorporation of roses. Roses lined the perimeters of the set, they were stacked on top of the boxes - they were inside the boxes. The effect was almost overwhelming, but nevertheless a beautiful aesthetic choice with a purpose that is later revealed in the play.
In short - the play is truly amazing. I did not know what to expect when I arrived at the theatre, and I was not only pleasantly surprised but totally engaged in the performance from the outset. It is the kind of show that makes you think, makes you laugh, makes you cry and makes you want to call your mother.
'don’t forget the birds' runs until the 1st December at Battersea Arts Centre, London.
Reviewer - Abbie Grundy
on - 28/11/18
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