CONFESSIONS: THE HOURS (Thornhill Theatre Space)**

 

By Emma

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6IsXIu5DuY

Available until: Unknown

This play is about a woman who is being bothered by a man who lives near her. He knows where she lives and he’s made her feel intimidated and uncomfortable. She’s tried asking for help but he isn’t seen to have done anything wrong.

One day, she decides to invite him into her home.

This isn’t really a bad play. The writing is powerful. Writer and director Natascha Graham tells the story well and keeps you guessing. You get a really strong sense of what the man is like and what he’s been doing. He’s really not a nice guy at all and it’s awful that the woman is forced to live with his intimidation and there’s nothing at all she can do about it because he always gets close to the line without quite crossing it.

The story is written as a monologue and it is performed by Delaney Brown, who expresses her character’s frustration, anger and helplessness really well. She’s a good actor and she tells the story compellingly.

But I’m really concerned by the idea behind the story. There are interviews with Natascha and Delaney before the play starts and it really felt like the play is about how terrible men are and that the story has been written for all women.

I don’t really feel the story has been written for me. I have never felt that all men are horrible. I think men and women (and other genders) vary a lot. I know some really lovely men and I’ve known some really terrible women. The play gives me the uncomfortable feeling that I’m expected to hate all men and that I’m supposed to feel solidarity with the woman in the play.

It is terrible that more than 80% of women have been assaulted or sexually harassed by men but that doesn’t mean 100% of men are guilty of it. Or even 80%. Even if it’s 1% of men, that’s 1% too many but that’s definitely not all men. I will stand against any man who is guilty of that but I will not stand against all men and I feel that’s what I’m being asked to do. I also won’t support all women on principle. I will support every woman’s right not to be harassed or assaulted but that doesn’t mean I’ll condone everything they do to avoid this.

I think the man in the play is a really awful person. Definitely. He’s aggressive and intimidating. He’s manipulative – he obviously knows exactly how much he can get away with. He’s cruel. He treats the woman in the play appallingly and his expectations and views about women generally are disgusting. It must be a very frightening experience to know a man like him and it’s awful that more can’t be done to protect the woman. He is despicable.

But I really don’t think much of the woman either.