QR Theatre Review: My Sweet Release
Written, Directed: Tom Davis-Coleman
Cast: James Broadbent, Esme White, David Torrens, Órlaith Duddy, Órlaith Feenan Ferguson
Presented by Queen’s University Players, 13th and 14th February 2019
My Sweet Release is an unrelenting and intriguing take on the sensitive issue of suicide, exploring the relationship dynamics of young adults and depicting the interactions between a group of four friends, in a natural and realistic way which does not pull any punches in evoking a sentimental response from its audience.
The programme for My Sweet Release states that ‘in the last five years, the number of 16-25 year olds who have committed suicide has increased by 105%’, highlighting the importance of addressing this issue in a society lacking in sufficient suicide prevention initiatives. Indeed, Tom Davis-Coleman’s excellent script and direction work in tandem to elicit emotion from the audience in such a way that leaves them thinking about the subject long after the play has ended. Davis-Coleman’s characters are borderline stereotypical in their portrayal of former students freshly out of university; carefree, heavy drinking Bohemians with varying interest in conforming to society’s expectations. However, they are written in such a way that each character is believable – they variously struggle with anger issues, drug use, political opinions, difficulty assimilating into the working world and issues of love and maturity. The play’s script expertly develops these characters as more than just four indistinguishable young adults; each is given a unique role and a three-dimensional personality which provokes all the more feeling from the audience during their emotional monologues surrounding the topic of suicide at the play’s climax.
The cast of My Sweet Release perform their roles so genuinely that it places the play a cut above much of Players’ other output during 2018-2019. Anna (Esme White) acts as sort of a nexus for the rest of the characters; it is her relationships with the other characters, as well as her own aptly delivered monologues, that influence the interactions of the play’s other characters. White’s performance gives the character of Anna a truly likeable, warm personality, which makes the character’s background of abuse a more difficult pill to swallow. Her boyfriend Shane (David Torrens) and his best friend Felix (James Broadbent) are a source of much of the play’s tension, as although depicted as friends from a young age, Shane’ issues with anger and Felix’s carefree apathy create a rift of conflict which has a knock-on effect and most of the characters’ relationships. Broadbent’s interpretation of Felix is a source of much of the play’s comic relief, but also allows the character real and honest depth in his interactions with Anna and Shane, while Torrens’ final monologue at the play’s climax is arguably the high-point of the script, unmasking the stubborn, stone-faced character as a vulnerable individual with true emotion. Sara (Órlaith Duddy) occupies a unique role in the play; newly employed, she laments outgrowing her friends, Duddy’s performance exhibits realistic frustration at how hard she worked in a campus culture synonymous with partying, and struggles with her newfound maturity as she becomes aware of how ‘all our nights end up like this,’ commenting on the repetitive nature of the four friends’ social gatherings. Independent from the group of friends is Claire (Órlaith Feenan Ferguson), a police investigator whose monologues intertwine with the main body of the play. With her purpose initially obscured, her character serves as a device to remind the audience of the play’s subtextual theme, and to provide an objective analysis of the characters’ personality facets, both positive and negative, during the climax. While Feenan Ferguson does an excellent job in performing the role, the character’s own backstory is often hinted at, but seems underdeveloped; perhaps in line with the playwright’s intentions.
A highlight of My Sweet Release’s execution which deserves to be mentioned is its production; the set design, by Caoimhe McGee and Tom Morrison, faithfully recreates the living room of a typical student flat, while costume courtesy of Rebecca Hughes helps to emphasise each character’s personality. Aoife Browne’s sound design and Dessie Havlin’s operation serve the play’s shifts between drama and occasional comedy, and the soundtrack is clearly carefully chosen. One of the highlights of My Sweet Release comes in the lighting design, by Lauren Wedgeworth (programmed by Jonny Daley); the use of colour is carefully selected to enhance the tone of certain scenes, and during breaks between scenes the spotlight artfully dances between the actors as they reinforce the theme of suicide and its motivations. Of particular note is a scene in which White moves through an unlit set collecting litter, while the rest of the cast shine phone torches to guide her; this comes unexpectedly, but the idea is original and truly a pleasure to see.
Overall, My Sweet Release is one of the more impressive and impactful plays organised by Players in the past six months. With a strong, cohesive cast backed by a well-executed script and standout production and design, the play not only entertains, but also delivers a hard-hitting and contemplative reflection on suicide amongst young people which gives the play a genuine sense of meaning.
Based on performance 14/02/20
luke dodds