In the summer of 1827 a brutal murder was committed, a
murder that people would be talking about for centuries to come. Known today as
the Red Barn Murder, East Angles Theatre Company succeeds in bringing this true
slaughter to the forefront of our minds once again. However, instead of
focusing on the brutal murderer and his atrocious actions, the company shed
light on the woman behind the red barn and who she was before 1827. This is
evident through the lack of a character for William Corder, as he is never more
than talked about. As the stage directions state, Maria is ‘un-murdered’ in the
play’s opening sequence and we then follow her life from the age of ten onwards.
The stage and lighting design from Verity Quinn and Zoe
Spurr respectively are simple, yet highly effective. The wooden barn slats with
natural light bursting through the gaps creates a believable and almost
beautiful stage presence.
‘The Ballad Of Maria Marten’ boasts an all-female cast, all
of whom perform well together, acting as a tight-knit ensemble through their
use of movement, song and speedy, almost overlapping line delivery. This female-driven play in which the actors perform both female and male roles (although
there are only two male roles in any case), is well performed throughout. The ease with which they switch emotions; from being joyous and carefree
to harrowing and full of sorrow, is no easy feat, but one which they all manage
effortlessly. Elizabeth Crarer plays Maria, the victim, with great depth. Crarer
is helped along throughout the play’s two and a half hour running time by
fellow actors, Bakelmun, Barrett, Davis, Goddard and Nash.
Written by Beth Flintoff, this play is injected with humour
that seems effortless when delivered by the actors, which is a testament to
Flintoff’s writing. When there is such a large time gap between the tale being
told on the stage and the audience watching, it is easy for an invisible divide
to form, stopping the audience from connecting to the characters and their
events. However, this was not the case with Flintoff’s writing; she found the
similarities between us and the women, more specifically Maria Marten. Flintoff’s
script looks at class divides and the sexism of the 19th century. Both
of which are still problematic today.
Although the play was a ‘long one’, as the staff at the
Lowry stated to me on my entry, and it did feel a little long, the blend of
movement and stillness injected life into almost every moment of the play and
left the audience unsure of the play’s next move, much like a game of chess. I
am sure the play’s director, Hal Chambers, is also to be praised for this.
These sudden shifts in emotion and tone caused some moments to become much more
poignant and emotional from an audience’s viewpoint, and worked incredibly
well. One example is the horrific uncovering of Maria’s body just before the
interval, in which the digging and screaming was uncomfortably long. When the
lights came up on the audience following this scene, there was stunned silence
as we attempted to process what we had just witnessed.
Although we all went into the theatre knowing Maria’s
outcome, it is a testament to the whole company that we were able to laugh as
well as gasp in shock as though we were living through the events with these
women. Although I urge you to prepare yourselves for a rather late night, this
piece of theatre is well worth a watch, and is infused with live, upbeat folk
music as well as well-honed and believable performances.
Reviewer - Megan Relph
on - 23.9.21
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