Is it really possible to escape from the shadows of past trauma? Tarantula, a one-woman show written by Philip Ridley and directed by Wiebke Green, takes on this question in a frank, affecting and even a little ‘in-yer-face’ manner.
It’s springtime in East London, the sun is shining, and Toni and her crush, Michael, are on their first date together. Their day is simple: popping into McDonald’s for milkshakes, walking down the streets and alleys, kissing for the first time... it all appears to be very nice. However, just then, a man approaches them, and his presence causes irreparable damage to both Michael and Toni.
Once the audience enter the auditorium, the sound of birds chirping can be heard. The stage is empty (Kit Hinchliffe) with blue lights (Ciaran Cunningham) sprinkled on it. There is also no set or props on stage after the play begins, giving the actress all the space needed to communicate freely with the audience. The lighting is natural for the most part, with only the occasional sudden change to blue light on the whole space or a spotlight on the actress, further revealing to the audience the psychological state of the character at that moment.
Georgie Henley’s performance is very empathetic. Henley exudes her emotions and energy to the audience moment by moment throughout the 90-minute play. Not only does she play Toni, but she plays almost every character that appears in the play and distinguishes them very clearly through their mannerisms and habits during the intense dialogues. Even disregarding her portrayal of multiple characters, her portrayal of Toni is excellent, especially in terms of her change. In the beginning, she’s a spunky and lively girl. But after that incident, while she seems to be in high spirits as if everything couldn’t be better, it’s constantly evident that she’s mentally strained from her almost slightly neurotic state of exuberance. Even before her final outburst, the audience has been worried for countless times about whether she could still hold it together in the next second.
Throughout the play, Henley takes the initiative to connect with the audience constantly by staring at them, responding directly to an audience member’s reaction, and walking into the crowd. Near the end of the show, the audience would even be encouraged to clap and cheer along with her. Because this is a very personal story in itself, with her direct communication approach, it’s as if the audience is sitting right in front of a girl, listening to her talk about her past. Although the beginning of the story is quite simple and doesn’t seem to be exceptional, the audience can’t help but listen to her narrative.
Even though there is nothing very glamorous in the design of the entire play, the way it shows the effects of trauma is very clever, and the audience can easily empathise with the emotions of the character. When Toni goes on another date similar to the one she once had, even before she says anything, the audience is already worried for her, as if something unfortunate is going to happen next like it once did. Although Tarantula’s ending seems as if it was a bit abrupt and as if there are still things left unresolved, what the story is trying to say has been conveyed very clearly. Even if nothing else happens afterwards, it’s hard to move on from the shadow of a past trauma.
Tarantula runs at Arcola Theatre until 25th January 2025.
★★★★☆ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Kate Hockenhull
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