A deeply intimate, personal and emotive play, Otherland is somewhat of an awkward mixed bag: while Chris Bush's winning poeticism shines through, the play faces an identity crisis much like many of its characters. Both acts hold merits in their own right, yet the two fail to gel despite the intentional contrast, leading to a play that while rather compelling, feels rather unsatisfying.
Half way through the second act, Harry - one of Otherland's two beautifully crafted protagonists - begs her mother to 'trace my soul, and you will find a very familiar landscape'; not only is this a wonderful example of the beauty in Chris Bush's distinctive style, but a sentiment at the heart of much of her work. The play, which examines the lives of ex-couple Jo and Harry, explores the idea of identity, self-discovery, and the fact that what unites one another is the commonality of change, is touching and insightful and beautifully acted, yet an attempt to infuse the text with ingenuity puts the audience at odds with the emotional core of the piece. Act 2 sees the two protagonists' struggles viewed through opposing metaphorical lenses, amplifying the emotional toll of their personal journeys into manifested fictional situations, and while at times brilliantly poignant, the juxtaposition between the naturalist first half and surrealist latter withholds much of the potency of the piece. It's clever, and initially wildly interesting (if not a little baffling) but for all its craftsmanship, it fails to land as a human, cohesive, and emotive piece of theatre.
Within the first act the piece ebbs and flows, interweaving the two character's journeys with ease and simplicity; a piece of contrast, Bush draws constant parallels between both Jo's experience of maternity and Harry's journey of transitioning to paint a complete image of womanhood in all its forms. A beautiful underscoring and songs by Jennifer Whyte blends the two strands, with thematically synoptic lyrics bringing an almost narrative quality to the scene transitions and montages. It propels the piece with touching lyricism and romantic orchestration - any opportunity to hear a live harp in a theatrical setting is a treat for the ears - while genre-bending into diegetic club music and wedding accompaniment. Yet, it feels as if at times the play can't decide if it wants to lean more into the realms of musical or play - it's discernably a play, but one longs for the delicate compositions which function akin to the music in Standing at the Sky's Edge to intertwine more consistently.
Ann Yee directs the phenomenal cast of 8 with tremendous ease, navigating multi-rolling, era-shifting and character-hopping with simplicity and clarity. While the set by Fly Davis may leave more to be desired - it's sparse, yet not in any meaningful manner - Yee manages to make the staging feel continually refreshing, using chairs, distance and constant movement to bring life to the piece. The cast, itself is also phenomenal, with Jackie Clune in particular giving a chilling performance as Elaine, Harry's mother. Clune brings a startlingly accurate depiction of the well-intentioned yet unaccepting mother, and the interactions she shares with Fizz Sinclair simmer with an uncomfortable and heartbreaking tension. Jade Anouka equally shines, bringing joy and humour to the piece as Jo, as well as a sense of claustrophobic fear.
For those who enjoy Bush's beautiful writing, full of metaphor and painterly language, Otherland is a treat, and when admired scene by scene, the play dazzles in its authenticity, humanity and emotional honesty. Unfortunately, the bigger picture does concern both acts however, and the result feels as if two very differing playwrights were given the same brief, and their two pieces stitched rather crudely together. Both acts have merits - and one can admire the attempt at subversion and originality - however its lack of cohesiveness ultimately blocks a resonance of what the play seems to strive for: an intimate and emotional discovery of female identity.
Otherland runs at the Almeida Theatre until 15th March.
★★★☆☆ (3*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Marc Brenner
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