I MISS COMMUNISM. To 22 September.

London.

I MISS COMMUNISM
by Ines Wurth and Mark Soper.

Hackney Empire (Acorn Studio) To 22 September 2007.
Tues–Sat 8pm, Sat Sat 2.30pm.
Runs 1hr 10min No interval.

TICKETS: 0208 985 2424.
Review: Harriet Davis 28 August.

More history than drama in the end.
Written by and starring Croatian-born Ines Wurth, this one-woman show caused quite a stir at the Edinburgh Festival. Wurth plays herself – a naïve, slightly off-key child – as raised by her stern school-teacher mother and rather more compassionate grandmother. Ines’s upbringing maps a particularly turbulent period in Yugoslavian history, the rule of Tito, during which her family suffered heavy losses.

Ines in turn emigrates to America to pursue a career in acting, but instead finds herself babysitting for, and lodging with, another Croatian family. Ten years on, and she’s compelled to make a final trip to her home country, only to find it changed almost beyond recognition.

An intriguing idea which at times delights; but ultimately the subject matter feels too big for this modest production. Wurth has an undeniable charm about her – a certain lightness which makes her easy to watch – but her other characters lack definition, and several feel distinctly underwritten.

In addition, the plot is thin. Much is made of a so-called ‘incident’ in which Ines finds herself corned by Kosovon soldiers, but for all the build-up, nothing much comes of it. Ultimately, it feels tacked on; a means of linking – or perhaps adding meaning to – Ines’s childhood experiences. Similarly, she dwells for some time on an encounter between her and the American police; an amusing enough anecdote, but otherwise inconsequential.

There are a few high points – Wurth’s social commentary provides a few laughs and her cultural observations are largely apt – but ultimately the play lacks drive.

It takes a certain kind of performer to carry a show single-handedly, and Wurth does not possess the intensity required. The intermittent songs are especially ill-judged, in particular the sing-along finale. As a history lesson, it’s engaging enough, but as a drama it fails to satisfy.

Performer: Ines Wurth.

Director: Mark Soper.

2007-09-03 16:02:50