ONE HAND TIED BEHIND US: CONTACTLESS (Old Vic)***

  

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3U0WIQRBbY  

Available until: Unknown

The thing about monologues is that they can be about anything. Literally anything. And because they’re so short, there’s not much of a blurb so you don’t know what it’s about until the actors start talking. Even then, it can take a while to be completely sure.

But that leaves me with a bit of a problem. You might be able to upload a monologue without giving away what it’s about, but it would probably be impossible to write a review like that.

But as I’m here, why not give it a try?

Jenny has reached a turning point in her life. It’s about to change and she’s not sure she’s ready for it. In some ways, her life won’t be completely new. She’ll be going back to a situation she’s been in before. But it’s not going to be the same. Her recent experiences have changed her. It’s definitely going to be an adjustment.

As Jenny waits, she tells us about some of her recent experiences. She’s very honest and she’s very funny, but underneath it all, she probably is worried. Nothing is the same as it used to be.

The monologue is written by actor Maxine Peake. It’s actually quite a serious sort of monologue in some ways, but Maxine has managed to put in some lines that are really funny but don’t take away from the seriousness of the situation. She’s created an interesting character and you never know quite what she’ll say next which is always a good thing in a monologue.

Director Annabel Bolton has created the scene well. All Jenny has is a chair and a bag. It’s enough to give a certain impression and to add to the scene which Jenny is setting, but not enough to be distracting. It’s the right sort of chair for the situation and the bag is right for the character.

Siobhan McSweeney is really good as Jenny. Her comic timing is faultless and she makes Jenny seem like a lot of fun, but she also projects the serious side of the monologue. The humour is part of Jenny’s personality, not Jenny’s situation.

I saw something on twitter today where an actor I like a lot was talking about the lack of good theatre roles for females in a certain age group. She definitely has a point (and she’d know better than me, anyway), but monologues like this suggest things are moving in the right direction. There are people willing to write these roles and they do it well and that’s a really good sign.