IRON. To 1 March.

London

IRON
by Rona Munro

Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs To 1 March 2003
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Sat 3.30pm
Education Matinee 6 February 2.30pm
BSL signed 12 February
Audio described 22 February 3.30pm
Runs 2hr 25min One interval

TICKETS 020 7565 5000 (24 hours)
Minicom 020 7565 5085
www.royalcourttheatre.com
Review Timothy Ramsden 27 January

A play with a fine heart and an outstanding central performance.Iron bars; iron in the soul – both apply to Rona Munro's fine new prison drama (seen first at Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre last August). Fay's a lifer who killed her husband. After 15 years her 25 year old daughter pays her a visit. Their subsequent meetings make for gripping drama, excellently acted.

As the visits proceed, memories of her father stir in Louise Ludgate's Josie. Munro catches finely how childhood memories are lost in a girl brought up by Gran (the new 'Mum'). In place of initial embarrassment, deeper emotions surface between Josie and Fay: affection and need, then Fay's determined rejection of the daughter who stirs unhappy memories and brings her fruit instead of cigarettes.

Munro makes many right choices: the cause of the killing was apparently trivial, Josie's hope of a re-trial only means fuss to her mother, 'paperwork and memories that'd make my head bleed.'. This is more powerful for coming straight after Fay's litany of desires for life outside.

Ludgate's good, but Sandy McDade delivers the knockout performance. Body and face undergo remarkable transformations. At first, startled, darting confusion in the presence of her stranger daughter. Movement, words, attention switch like flickering flames. Unvisited, Fay's institutionalised. When Josie innocently touches her, Fay's body swings to the Guards, arms instinctively shooting up for searching.

Later comes keenness for Josie's experiences, Fay's voice running ahead as she tries living a social life through her daughter. And the collapsing body of a hunger-striker, facial features seeming to collapse inwards.

Helen Lomax's Guard mixes anger at Fay's (unseen) betrayals of trust – her warnings of Fay's manipulative skills ride rockily under the mother/daughter scenes – with moments of friendship. Roxanna Silbert's scrupulous production uses both Guards, plus stylised prison clankings from Matt Mackenzie's sound-score, to create a sense of overlooked unease. Climbing the huge staircases that cross Anthony MacIlwaine's human-dwarfing set, walking around the visiting area, the Guards' rare moments of stillness help create the play's climaxes.

Yet they remain less interesting characters; both acts start falteringly with Guard-dominated scenes. It's when Josie and Fay come together the play takes its iron grip.

Guard 2: Helen Lomax
Josie: Louise Ludgate
Fay: Sandy McDade
Guard 1: Ged McKenna

Director: Roxanna Silbert
Designer: Anthony MacIlwaine
Lighting: Chahine Yavroyan
Sound: Matt Mackenzie
Costume: Alex Eales

2003-01-28 12:12:11