BIG BOYS DON'T CRY: Touring

BIG BOYS DON'T CRY: Negativequity
Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

Runs: 1hr 10m: no interval: Touring
Review: Ranjit Khutan: 12th March 2003

Excellent play dealing with a little known issue, sensitively and imaginatively handled
An excellent play that has uses accurate and revealing insights into the hidden world of domestic violence perpetrated by women against men. It's an extremely well written and strong script that is bursting with great lines and double entendres, providing a blend of entertainment and education that often runs simultaneously.

The play follows a cyclical process of the husband and wife's daily chores husband goes to work, wife looks after home, husband goes to work etc. Through a gradual build up of tension that has the audience wondering where or how far it will be taken we see how the wife's worsening mental health state has its effects on both of them. The dance scenes set against classic tracks from the 50's and 60's are also well timed and well chosen the language of the dance complementing spoken words. At times this is pleasant but at others the dance and words oppose each other: this churns away at you and leaves you to question what is really happening.

Excellent settings three oversize props are immediately noticeable, their size marginalised later on when Rebekhah Fortune's character as the wife seems to outgrow the kitchen. Against this Peter Machen's character of the husband begins strong and happy only to end as a pitiful and dishevelled animal eating out of a bowl on the floor. Strong yellow lighting makes the whole piece almost an animation early on. This saccharin staging is dissipated by a pale white, highlighting the fear and tension and also the reality of this crime.

As in any domestic violence situation, soon after each violent incident a 'honeymoon' period of happiness returns this builds up through out the play. There is no happy ending we are left with questions rather than being told what to think.

The play deals with an issue that is joked about and one, which if the roles were reversed would have probably received less laughter. A woman hitting a man is a ludicrous notion many may think, but this is a well-researched play that sheds light on questions and gives voice to this issue in a sensitive way.

[At the performance no details of the production were available. These will be added to the review once the editors have chased them up.]

Peter Machen Husband
Rabekah Fortune - Wife

2003-03-21 15:15:06