SITE GUIDE
SEARCH
REVIEWS
REVIEW ARCHIVES
ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP
FEATURES
NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway
NYC Restaurants
BOOKS and CDs
OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
DC
Philadelphia
Elsewhere
QUOTES
TKTS
PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS
LETTERS TO EDITOR
FILM
LINKS
MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
Writing for Us
A CurtainUp 
London Review
London ReviewMore Light
| We have known only the finest of foods.— More Light
|
Cast members from More Light (Photo: James Davies) |
Billed as "What the British Museum didn't tell you. . " at the exhibition of the life size Terracotta Army from the tomb of the Emperor, Qin Shi Huanggdi, is this curiosity of a play by Bryony Lavery. More Light is set inside the tomb of this Chinese Emperor where alongside the terracotta army, many of his human servants and artisans have been buried alive to accompany the Emperor into the next life. The group of courtesans who accompany him are those of his wives who did not bear him a son. The anomaly of course is that we are told that none of these women have experienced childbirth; perhaps those that bore him daughters were instantly put to death in that grisly sexist society?
Led by an articulate courtesan named More Light (Catrina Lear) who also directs the play we hear much about the women's life while the Emperor was still alive. More Light is not just the narrator but a leader as the rest of the nervous women tend to squeal and recoil in unison. The women are sweetly named, Playful Kitten (Jenny Harrold), Love Mouth (Eugenia Caruso), Moist Moss (Caroline Daniel), Little Friend (Lydia Emerson), Many Treasures (Sandy Foster) and Pure Joy (Judith Musil) and are dressed identically. They have spent their life as art, pleasuring the Emperor and are ill prepared for survival in their silks, white makeup and bound feet.
The first issue for the women is their own survival for which they take an extraordinary decision — you will have seen the play advertised as "a tale of life, death, sex, art and cannibalism". This act of rebellion is the first of many as they unbind their feet and no longer have to teeter about taking tiny steps. They pass the time folding origami flying birds as they chorus hypnotically about their past skills in the art of lovemaking. The intrusion of an escaped convict (Philip McGinley) into the inner sanctum presents another challenge to their survival and the hope of a way out.
The simple set decorated with bronzes and burnished metal, the women dressed with black kimonos and red cummerbunds and fans with the embellished imperial robes of the dead emperor laid out on his tomb add to the atmosphere. Bryony Lavery's play is a rhythmic and fascinating glimpse into the life of these courtesans but encouraging as we see these captive women who have led constrained but provided for lives, resourceful when faced with starvation and death.
| More Light
Written by Bryony Lavery Directed by Catrina Lear With: Catrina Lear, Jenny Harrold, Eugenia Caruso, Caroline Daniel, Lydia Emerson, Sandy Foster and Judith Musil. Stage Manager: CJ Mitchell and Ottilie Kark Music Advisor: Helen Greenham Make Up Advisor: Emily Jane Williams A production from Under the Bed, Round Pebble and Jasper Britton Running time: One hour without an interval Box Office: 020 7503 1646 Booking to 30th May 2009 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 18th May 2009 performance at the Arcola Studio 3, Arcola Street, Hackney, London E8 (Rail: Dalston Kingsland or buses) |
|
REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V): Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email . . . also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review. |
|
London Theatre Tickets Lion King Tickets Billy Elliot Tickets Mighty Boosh Tickets Mamma Mia Tickets We Will Rock You Tickets Theatre Tickets |
