Theatre / amy mason
Review: Hollering Woman Creek, Bristol Old Vic
You can still smell the new upholstery in Bristol Old Vic’s gorgeous new Weston Studio. It won’t be like that for long, given how busy it will get in here. But for now there’s a freshness to the space that’s perfectly matched by this show supported by BOV’s artist-development strand Ferment.
Hollering Woman Creek is a three-woman play, but the storytelling is done by writer Amy Mason, who narrates her trip to Texas to research her novel on the death penalty.
She is initially horrified by a so-called ‘jackalope’ in a Texan museum: a hideous patchwork of animals, which gives her the chills, unlike her calm boyfriend Stefan.
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But there are more horrors on the way. Newly pregnant and somewhat ambivalent about it, Amy is constantly faced with anti-abortion campaigning from billboards – right across the street from prisons where the death penalty is carried out.
As the roadtrip progresses, so does Amy’s tale of mental-health issues, and of her efforts to come to terms with her pregnancy.
Her boyfriend Stefan is probably better characterised than she is herself, through a series of amusing details that raise a laugh. The other big character here is the state of Texas itself, brought beautifully to life by Megan Henwood on guitar and Elizabeth Westcott on the violin. They also sing Texan ballads to illuminate the mood.
The plot climaxes during a ghostly episode in a wood, but there could be more drama here to really excite.
Nevertheless, the tale has its highlights, with some deadpan humour and a narrative drive that holds the attention. And, in the end, we are forced to question who the title’s ‘Hollering Woman’ really is.
Hollering Woman Creek continues at Bristol Old Vic’s Weston Studio until Sat, Oct 20. For more info and to book tickets, visit bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/hollering-woman-creek
Read more: Preview: Ginger Beer, Wardrobe Theatre (Oct 23-25)
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