Constellations
DIRECTOR: Alan Swerdlow
CAST: Janna Ramos-Violante |and Ashley Dowds
VENUE: Theatre on the Bay
UNTIL: October 11
RATING: ****
QUIRKY, subtle, and searching, Nick Payne’s Constellations rewards both heart and mind: part theatrical entertainment, part philosophical chestnut, this is a love story with a difference. Moreover, its presentation has a lustre which makes the play recommended viewing for any student of drama, as it replays snippets of dialogue out of chronological sequence with varying inflections, moods and outcomes, to intrigue, baffle, and captivate its audience.
The plot is of the simplest and most familiar: man and woman meet, are mutually attracted, embark on a love affair, commit to each other, and ultimately have to confront mortality – that of a partner and perforce of a relationship. As the work evolves, it is up to the audience to construct this storyline, which turns Constellations into something of a mind-game.
To the plot’s hoary material (remember Erich Segal’s Love Story?) Payne brings a new dimension, exploring the endless potentiality of human interaction as well as probing the eternal conundrum of our destiny: where we come from, why we’re on this planet, what governs our lives, and where we’re going. He does so with finesse, a lightness of touch that does not impair the other key aspect of the work, namely its dramatic and emotional weight.
Alan Swerdlow’s staging, like his direction, is understated but effective according to the canon that less is more.
Much is required of the performers, and like the play’s title, they are stellar. Janna Ramos-Violante’s portrayal of the eccentric, intensely human Mary Anne is beautifully nuanced and utterly plausible. Ashley Dowds, as Roland, musters huge appeal as her unlikely mate, and between them they achieve what is essential to the play: convincing warmth in their interaction. Their timing is flawless, their British accents authentic. He, the down-to-earth beekeeper; she, the astrophysicist absorbed in scientific conjecture, make an engaging, very human couple despite their metaphoric value.
The pair exploit to the maximum the script’s wealth of humour, intelligence and poignancy. Highly recommended for those who like to flex their intellectual muscle at the theatre.