He Said / She Said - A double bill by Dom Riley and Madeline Gould, Directed by Claire Evans, The White Bear Theatre | 21 April - 2 May ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by Indigo Cleverley

Photo credit: Yuch Zhao

He Said / She Said

A double bill by Dom Riley and Madeline Gould

directed by Claire Evans

The White Bear Theatre | 21 April - 2 May

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by Indigo Cleverley

“A psychological interrogation, this show toys with your moral judgements… 50 minutes is hardly enough to wholly unpack the character’s psychology.”

He Said/She Said is a double-bill performance consisting of two one-act plays which revolve around an act of knife violence, exploring the differing contexts and responses. Dom Riley’s Misconduct follows Richie and his struggle in accepting his friend’s life moving on and drifting away from his as a buildup of difficult emotions and situations contribute to a regretful act of impulse. Madeline Gould’s Ladykiller takes us on a darker path as a feverish chambermaid attempts to justify her act of violence against a hotel guest in a frantic but calculated form. Directed by Claire Evans, these two shows are revived and bought back to life in momentous fashion, holding as much relevance today as their first performances in 2013 and 2014.

The first play of the evening is Misconduct, where football fan Richie recounts his trip to Leeds with his two friends to watch an away game, a seemingly normal day which ends anything but. The second the stage lights turn on, we are introduced to Richie and his explosive energy and uncontrolled emotions as he bangs his hands against the wall and speaks frantically. Through detailed and humorous storytelling, we are invited into Richie’s perspective of events, propelled by upbeat music which soundtracks the action in a style akin to a video game. While the music accompanies Richie’s personal re-telling, cuts to silence and changes in lighting from dim and slightly shadowy to bright clinical lighting clearly represent the shift back to real time.

Richie, portrayed by Gwithian Evans, is a character you are instantly drawn to with his familiarity and chattiness where we, as the audience, are spoken to as if we are his friend which creates a connection from the start. This connection allows for a more complex perspective as Richie’s actions, which from an outsider view seem entirely wrongful, are established as more complicated. A psychological interrogation, this show toys with your moral judgements, forcing us to consider multiple perspectives and contexts.

The second play, Ladykiller, carries much more sinister undertones as we hear from an unnamed chambermaid ‘Her’ who recounts the background and justification of her killing of a hotel guest. A masterpiece in misguidance, this show is an analytical deep dive into the psychological landscape of killings and the role of femininity within that. Madeline Gould’s intricate and precise script packs a multitude of current societal issues, as well as asking philosophical and psychological questions which linger in your mind for hours after the performance ends. Geebs Marie Williams is wickedly captivating in the role, blending dark comedic moments with raw, emotive storytelling; 50 minutes is hardly enough to wholly unpack the character’s psychology, but Marie Williams uses every second to convey these complexities expertly.

 Pairing these two shows together is a smart way to engage with the contents and questions that run through both shows, both exploring acts of knife violence and the role of responsibility and guilt from the perpetrator.  It’s worth mentioning the deliberate order of the shows, while Misconduct is a more familiar landscape and acts a gentler introduction to the themes, Ladykiller is more upfront in asking us to confront our own morality and societal influences.

Both plays leave us with the question of whether these individual recollections are expertly constructed acts of misdirection and foolery or an unfiltered honest description of events and circumstances.

Cast

Gwithian Evans - Richie

Her - Geebs Marie Williams

Creatives

Dom Riley - Writer, ‘Misconduct’

Madeline Gould - Writer, ‘Ladykiller’

Claire Evans - Director and Producer

David Fitzhugh - Design and Set Build

Marta Fossati - Lighting Design and Technical DSM

Jan Giedroyc - Music and Sound Design

Yuchu Zhao - Production Artwork, Photography and Programme Design

Kazue Horimasu - Production Assistant and ASMAlasdair Evans - Finance and Co-Producer

Mobius - PR