THE SAME RAIN THAT FALLS ON ME (The Space UK/University of York Drama Society)****

 

By Tommy

Link: https://online.thespaceuk.com/show/the-same-rain-that-falls-on-me

Available until: 31^st January 2021 (according to The Stage)

The Same Rain That Falls On Me is about a situation which is always relevant and always one of deep sadness, but perhaps it has a particular relevance in the time we live now. So many people have tragically lost family members and friends to COVID-19. The situation is, of course different: in the current climate, the long hospital bedside vigil is an impossibility; only short visits via modern technology are permitted.

But in the last year, far more people than one could have guessed have had to watch the deterioration of a loved one; a removal to hospital that could turn out to be a last personal goodbye. Then sitting and waiting, perhaps not wanting to wait as it feels too much like anticipation, but unable to think of anything else. Even when the thoughts are on other things, as they very often are because some aspects of life have to continue, the knowledge lurks in the back of the mind. Always painfully there. A feeling which lodges uncomfortably; a feeling which, in other circumstances, one would want to be rid of. But being rid of it would mean forgetting and nobody wants to do that, even for one moment.

The Same Rain That Falls On Me focuses not on COVID-19 but another disease that has received Press attention, due to the decisions by many hospitals to delay treatment, and additionally the reluctance of many people to seek medical treatment due to the health risks, as well as the difficulty, in many quarters, in obtaining an appointment in order to be assessed. The disease is cancer. Alice, the protagonist, is at university when she hears the news that her dad, whom she knew to be ill, is now in hospital and she needs to come home.

The play is as a monologue, written by Logan Jones. It describes several moments, from Alice’s last moments at university; an encounter with somebody on the way out; the long train journey home. Various conversations with family members are then recounted, highlighting in particular her difficult relationship with her mother, and the wonder she feels when in company with her niece, Autumn. Then, of course, there is Alice’s relationship with her father. The memories, happy and sad. The complicated feelings of knowing she tried to prevent the illness in encouraging her father to change his lifestyle. The knowledge that she was unsuccessful. The fear of what lies ahead.

It is an extraordinary and very sensitive piece of writing which feels very real. Although the knowledge of what is to come never quite leaves Alice’s mind and very much informs her thoughts, it is not an obsessive focus and she is able to note other things, such as the way her university tutor is looking her, in addition to being unusually sensitive to the feelings of others – or at least, what she perceives as being their feelings.

The one anomaly of this production is that it is meant to take place on one of the hottest days of the year, yet Alice is wearing a rather thick jumper. Perhaps director Jay Seldon had little interest in clothes; perhaps the actor’s comfort was more important to him (I am perhaps mistaking the gender, but there is a Jay Seldon connected with the University of York Drama Society who played a character named Ben) than a costume that suited the text, but it did stand out rather and Mr Seldon’s direction in general does seem to suggest a great attention to detail in the performance.

It is all filmed in one take, even though the story has several ‘scenes’ in different locations. There has been no attempt to use the set in order to suggest particular locations and this seems like the right decision because Alice’s surroundings are relatively immaterial. It might be awkward in the lecturer’s office; hot on the train; tense at home, but in some ways, those sensations don’t matter at all. Mr Seldon also gives the actor (and her character) the time to do whatever they need to do. To pause; to think. There is little sense of drama, but the play is utterly absorbing. There is something almost gentle in the performance, leading slowly to a conclusion that seems inevitable.

The role is shared by two actors, but while Ella McKeown seems to have featured in all the online reviews, it is Maria Cook who appears in this youtube video and will be reviewed on this blog. Ms Cook is an incredible performer. Her focus and her immersion in the character are absolute, and although Alice’s mood changes, there is no sense of switching from one emotion to another; we visibly see the changes as one emotion, then another, takes prevalence. It is a very powerful, moving and believable performance. Ms Cook conveys beautifully not only the lines she has been given but also the thoughts and feelings behind the lines; the things that remain unsaid.

The performance felt extremely personal and truthful, it seemed almost wrong to intrude on Alice’s grief, but not to the extent that one would want to walk away and miss the rest of a truly excellent performance.