Theatre / annie siddons
Review: Mayfest: How (not) to Live in Suburbia, Trinity
England is the loneliest country. Fewer people report feeling close to their neighbours or having a strong friend they could rely on in a crisis than any other nation in Europe. Social isolation is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day – and twice as dangerous as obesity.
Yet, as Annie Siddons demonstrates in this raw, skin-tightening show, there’s a dry quagmire of shame to swim out of before speaking the name of this suffocating affliction. There’s a seriousness to this work that builds from Siddons’ measured, even dour, straight-to-audience narrative delivery. Counterpoints to this come in the form of vivacious physical interventions from Sarah Moore, who seems to embody Siddons’ ambitions to be fun, successful and bright as she delivers her Manifesto.
I was struck by the extent to which, although on the surface this show is about a conflict with internal demons, in reality the crushing weight of material factors kept imposing itself. From the omnipresence of aeroplane roar in Richard DeDomenici’s video pieces, to the costs of childcare and Zone 5 travelcards, we see Siddons become enveloped in an impermeable mist that dulls life and makes it difficult to leave Twickenham.
is needed now More than ever
There is a tyranny to these factors that incapacitate by a hundred small inconveniences and snubs, and that tyrnanny robs the struggle of any dignity and recognition. There is one scene in which Siddons’ partner announces that he is leaving to pursue opportunities in New Cross. It is a terribly sad moment, and yet it is played as melodrama and period costume as though Prince Bolkonsky is leaving to join the war with Napoleon, rather than Jay moving 14 miles across London to get more gigs.
This tension seems to lie near the heart of the piece, and it is fitting that the climax does not offer silver-bullet resolution, but merely the recognition that the struggles that Siddons experiences as a single parent are real. This is not an uplifting finale, but that seems appropriate. The decision to follow the play with a Q&A with The Marmalade Trust, who tackle loneliness in Bristol, underlies the big societal nature of the problem.
Overall, this play was effective at conveying a necessary message. It relied a lot on the honesty of its autobiographical content. It will be interesting to witness its forthcoming TV adaption, where the DIY accessibility of this example of hopeful art will likely be swapped for more polished production values.
How (not) to Live in Suburbia finishes its run at Trinity on Tue, May 14 as part of Mayfest. For more info, visit mayfestbristol.co.uk/shows/how-not-to-live-in-suburbia
Pic: Claire Nolan
Read more: Preview: Mayfest 2018
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