Review: THREAD, The Hope Theatre

Vivian has just received her first Academy Award nomination. When an actress comes forward to accuse her 82-year-old actor father, who's suffering from degenerative dementia, of sexual assault, her career and personal life threaten to crumble.

Freya Alderson's core idea is remarkably interesting and provocative as she shifts the spotlight onto the inner workings of a family that's about to explode. All of Thread's issues come from everything else. Starting from the badly photoshopped photo of the father and daughter duo walking the red carpet to the atrocious script, the show is, regretfully, a train wreck. The first in a line of problems (all definitely salvable) is the writing. To put it simply, people do not talk like that. Ever.

In theory, there's nothing wrong with a pompous text - it works marvels in certain contexts - but when it's crowded with unrefined clichés and lines that no human would naturally utter, it becomes a dangerous tool. In this case, it unfortunately also affects the acting, exasperated by the weak directing choices made by Veronica Quilligan.

This is sadly clear with Christina Balmer (Vivian) and Eric Carte, with the latter shining as the ageing performer even with a bad script when the direction goes easier on him and he's allowed to focus on his performance. From the dialogues to the man's soliloquies, too many of the exchanges seem to be taken straight out of a cheap telenovela about posh people.

Tackling one of the most delicate subjects of the late 2010s is a gargantuan responsibility, and this show doesn't rise to the occasion. Margo (Maya-Nika Bewley), the social media savvy feminist of the group, actually introduces an incredibly two-dimensional view of the #MeToo movement, as well as being the flagship of the piece's lack of character depth. Ian (Christopher Jenner-Cole) is a further example, as the agent and family friend who might or might not be part of the issue merely being used as a token.

The rape accusations aren't the only subject, with strident internal family cracks appearing from the start. The two sisters are resentful and angry with each other, and too often the allegations look like a blatant excuse to have them drift further away. What's truly disheartening about Thread is the level of potential it shows right at the very end. The final chunk of the piece comes in as the earth-shattering realisation of what the play could have been.

The insights into an industry that's cruel and unforgiving, the shame and danger female creatives are likely to face in it, and an ultimate retribution that always seems to come too late are all there - albeit masked by poor framing.

Thread runs at The Hope Theatre until 7 December.

Image courtesy of Beverley Anne

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