One of the latest monologues to come from the online Lockdown Theatre Company, is the curiously long-titled, "Mavis From Moira And The Dawn Of The Musical Theatre Zombie Apocalypse". From the pen of Rohan Candappa, this overlong monologue is an interesting piece, but just milks the subject matter too long.
Read (and sung) most ably by Charlotte Swarbrick, we are in territory with which I can relate. Being Musical Theatre trained myself, I often catch myself either mentally singing or even sometimes actually singing my way through the current task... "I'm doing the washing-up, with a lot of bubbles in the bowl.. tra la la.. etc"... so the idea that this girl finds solace in bursting into song as a means of more fully expressing her emotions doesn't seem in the least odd.
She's a misfit and always has been - She comes from the town of Moira [and before you say it I will.. no, it's not the Mina from the Bob Merrill musical, Carnival!, but it might as well be. It's a village south of Derby on the outskirts of Swadlincote]. And it wasn't until joining a drama group and going to see a production of Oliver! that she realised she needed to be a Muscial Theatre actress.
Swarbrick takes us through her life interspersed with a few songs along the way, and none of what she says seems to be very far from many performers' own experiences. Although the conclusion she comes to that Musical Theatre is more realistic than straight theatre stretches it a little, even if the point she makes seems valid.
The narrative comes to the conclusion that Muscial Theatre saved her, and she is now able to access emotions in a way that simple words can't. 'Memory' went on for far too long, but the 'Consider Yourself' finale was fun.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 13/9/20
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