Review - Enlightenment - Little Theatre

Enlightenment 

Little Theatre

24th April, 2023

Written by Shelagh Stephenson

Presented by The Progressive Players

Directed by Mark Buckley

It's difficult to say anything about the plot of Enlightenment without giving away too much. It is the story of a family, a mother, a step-father and a grandfather, coming to terms with the loss of their son. Adam went off backpacking around the world and has disappeared. Has he been the victim of a terrorist bombing, or a kidnapping, or just an unfortunate accident? No-one knows. Five months after his disappearance no body has been found, no ransom demands have been made, and there is no trace of their son. It is their journey to enlightenment, to finding a way to live with the loss. 

They are helped and hindered along the way by Joyce (Louise Wright), a medium, and Joanna (Elaine Watt), a TV documentary maker. Two very different characters with their own reasons for wanting to 'help'.  Joyce is a very gentle, calm voice trying to connect them to the essence of their son, but getting interference from other souls. Her softly spoken observations and questions bring a gentle humour to the play, but only a fleeting hope of solace for Lia (Eleanor Pullen), and are a source of exasperation for the cynical Nick (Kevin Thew). 

Joanna is brasher, more self serving as she persuades Lia, against her better judgement into doing a documentary about Adam. Joanna has her own agenda and her brashness is a good foil for Joyce's quiet presence. Interestingly the men are more taken with Joanna than they are with Joyce. Both Lia's father Gordon (Jim Race) and her husband Nick are quickly persuaded to the idea of the documentary. 

Then into the frame comes one other person whose presence will be the catalyst on their journey. The chaos he brings finally enables them to accept their situation. 

The play takes place almost exclusively in the home of Nick and Lia. The set is minimal, a desk at which Lia works on her research, a couple of chairs that are moved into position when needed, a projected back drop to give the 'feel' of the living space, and a small contraption (made by Adam) that fires tennis balls. 

This is a play of words and feelings rather than action. The challenge for the cast is to keep the audience engaged for almost an hour and a half with those words and feelings, and keep us they did!  And they did so in spite of a late replacement in the lead role, with Eleanor Pullen performing 'script in hand'. It's a testament to the quality of the production, and the skill of the actor, that after a while I barely noticed the book in her hand. 

In Enlightenment Shelagh Stephenson shines light on an impossible situation, unpicking the threads of a grief stricken family, yet she does so with sensitivity and humour, and though their loss remains, her characters do eventually find the means to accept it. It is at times difficult and raw, but it is also beautiful, and finally enlightening.  

It plays at The Little Theatre until Saturday 29th April. 

*image by Jenny Race

Denise Sparrowhawk