Review: CURTAINS, Rose Theatre

It is Ida's 86th birthday, but it's a milestone she would rather have not reached. Her family wants to gather and celebrate, but she would rather be removed from her small world of pain and confusion. She sits in the midst of the manufactured joviality of family members who feel both guilt of their own past absences and annoyance at the need to be at her party at all.

The 1987 play Curtains won Stephen Bill the Evening Standard Award For Most Promising Playwright. It is easy to see why this revival has been chosen, as the questions and issues it raises, such as how society treats its elderly and the responsibilities of families for their own members, are as current as ever.

The structure of the play however, is not perfect. The first act is tight, with some dark comedy and sharp writing, but the second act seems overly long and slightly repetitive in its conversations. It is often the silences that are the most powerful elements. It is also a shame that Director Lindsay Posner did not update the play at points; casual racism about black locum doctors and illegal immigrants feels dated and uncomfortable.

Some of the writing is poignant and thoughtfully observed, particularly in the way that people talk too loudly to the elderly, as though they are stupid, as well as hard of hearing. Sandra Voe's Ida is beautifully portrayed; she demonstrates striking desperation at her loss of dignity and control over her own life. Her sharp, one-word answers are delivered in a manner of someone who has lost all enthusiasm for life and her eyes show a heartbreaking amount of pain and anguish.

Saskia Reeves is very convincing as the increasingly hysterical daughter Katherine. It is frustrating that we get little insight into her past relationship with her mother and so it is hard to understand why Ida chose her, rather than anyone else, to help end her pain.

Jonathan Coy is very good as Katherine's inept and bumbling husband Geoffrey. His attempts to understand the sequence of events add much to the black comedy within the script. He also shows relentless pragmatism; even in the face of death the dog needs to be walked.

Wendy Nottingham is also excellent as daughter Margaret, jumping from the self-obsession of her own migraine to wondering who should inherit the standard lamp. She is the most identifiable character, as most of us have a 'Margaret' in our own families.

Tim Dutton is also good as Margaret's long-suffering husband Douglas. Unfortunately, he becomes the mouthpiece in the second act for preaching in favour of the morality of euthanasia; some of his lines come across as set pieces and lack the humanity necessary for the argument to truly impact on the audience.

Peter McKintosh's set is nicely contained and contains all the necessary details of an elderly person's living room. Lace armrest covers, framed embroidered flowers and peeling floral wallpaper are thoughtful additions.

The production helps to remind us that independence and control over our lives is what most people value most. However, it also frustrates, as there are some missed opportunities to say something valuable about our choices and decisions around the inevitable end of life.

Curtains is at the Rose Theatre until 17 March

Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan

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