ONE HAND TIED BEHIND US: IMAGINE THAT (Old Vic)*****

 

By Cal 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVHxKOSJt8U

Available until: Unknown

Imagine That is the third monologue in the One Hand Tied Behind Us series, which celebrated National Women’s Day 2021.

Carmen has just finished a twelve-hour shift. Now, she’s getting ready to go out for her other job. The last thing she needs is to go out and vote. She’s tired. But it means a lot to her friend Rose.

The monologue is written by Kit de Vaal and I really like it. Carmen is a really good character. Brave. Strong. Admirable. But she’s suffered in ways I can’t even imagine. The monologue is really well put together with a couple of hints early on before Carmen tells her sad story and the last line is brilliant. It uses a theatrical device which I’m not going to name because I’d much rather you watched it and saw it for yourself, but it’s very clever. It’s not done just for the sake of it either. There’s a real dramatic point to it.

Director Annabel Bolton has set the play on a very small stage (the same stage as the others in this series), which reminds you that Carmen’s home is likely to be very small too. Carmen does sit down for some of the monologue, but not for long because she’s busy. There’s always something new for her to do. Annabel has also chosen to make it an energetic monologue rather than a tired one. Usually, there’s nothing more annoying than someone who’s been up all night but is a lot more awake than you are, but I don’t feel annoyed by Carmen. More awed.

A lot of the credit for this must obviously go to Flo Wilson, who performs the role of Carmen. There’s something so warm and even cheerful about her, even when she’s ranting. Flo shows Carmen’s loving nature, her loyalty and her courage, but at the same time, she’s not unrealistically good. Carmen is actually quite funny. She’s great to watch and very entertaining, but she makes you think too. A lot.

This is a really interesting, emotional and very clever monologue. The characterisation and storytelling seem even more impressive the more I think about it.