Review: VERTICAL DREAMING Shares The Music And Poetry Gave Andrew Henry The Strength He Needed To Battle The Black Dog.

Tuesday 12th December 2017, 8:15pm Old Fitz Theatre

Whilst Old Fitz audiences are familiar with Andrew Henry's wonderful portrayal of other characters, Red Line Productions' Artistic Director steps into the spotlight as himself, with a more personal performance that is both humorous and heartbreaking in the honesty and vulnerability he is prepared to share. Rounding out Red Line Productions' 2017 season of "Unspoken" stories, VERTICAL DREAMING is a captivating 50 minutes of poetry and music gives an insight into coming through mental illness, an issue that whilst more widely acknowledged, is still often hard to talk about.

With a set that looks like an attic filled with miscellaneous furniture, lamps, ladders and an abundance of mirrors, a small ensemble of musicians who are also Andrew's friends are situated around a central stool. Singer Lenore Munro is nestled into one half of the remnants of a chesterfield whilst guitarist Matt Ralph perches on the other half, separated by a mass of detritus from what appears to be a long drinking session. Percussionist Paul Prestipino plays an intriguing 'drum' kit alongside piano and bass player Simon Rippingale as they round out the small but skilled ensemble. Alexander Berlage's lighting and effects incorporates pillars of light, smoke and reflections off the mirrors to ensure that the work is taken from the real into the theatrical, allowing for songs to be delivered without directly facing the audience and different parts of the stage can be utilised as the mood changes.

In a variation on a normal theatre program, the audience is presented with a letter from Andrew Henry which helps frame the work so that his history of checking himself into a mental health facility and discovering a scrapbook of poems from another patient does not need to be told on stage. Whilst VERTICAL DREAMING may seem like Andrew's story, his letter explains that it is a collective story and an encouragement to others to open up and be aware of their own challenges and not be afraid to share and a reminder to everyone to be aware to the struggles people may be having and to be supportive and sympathetic and non judgemental.

The adaptations of a collection of works are presented with sensitivity without seeking sympathy but rather presented as an honest exploration of thoughts and feelings. Whilst we often hear Andrew take on other voices when cast as characters, this performance is more personal, and it is evident that these works still mean a great deal to him as he allows his vulnerability to show. The works have a degree of humour covering the poignant truth in the way that humour is often used to deal with hurt and Andrew balances that expression beautifully so that as an audience member you feel like bundling him up in a hug at the end of the show whilst being reminded to reach out to our own loved ones that may be in need of support.

The poems are framed by the band's expression of some beautiful ballads. Lenore and Matt lead the vocals that range from evocative and tender to intense and textured. The unamplified voices fill the intimate space with a good balance of instruments and vocals and it was interesting the hear the reverb that can be extracted out of the small theatre. There is a creativity in the music with keys, guitar, ukulele, double bass and somewhat improvised drum kit where the bass drum had been substituted with what appeared to be a suitcase and a t-shirt often softened the snare drum.

Whilst society often shares the stories and achievements of people with visible challenges, it is even more important to understand and acknowledge the battles within and that it is an illness, removing the stigma that once was associate with it. It is humbling to see Andrew be so open and honest about his struggle with mental illness as he shares his triumph and the 'tools' that provided a comfort and a way forward for him. Whether you love poetry, music, or just enjoy understanding humanity, VERTICAL DREAMING is a beautiful piece to round out your 2017 theatre experiences and whilst the Old Fitz is 'home' for Andrew and many of the audience would consider that they know him on some level, I hope this work is restaged to connect to more audiences in the future as it is such an important message presented in a beautiful heartfelt manner.

VERTICAL DREAMING

5-15th December 2017

Photography credit: John Marmaras

To post a comment, you must register and login.