TISSUE PAPER FOR THE SOUL: till 3 September

Scarborough

TISSUE PAPER FOR THE SOUL
by Helen Kelly

Stephen Joseph Theatre Restaurant In rep to 3 September 2003
1.10pm on 29,30 July 6,13,20,27,29 August 3 September
Runs 50min No interval

TICKETS: 01723 370541
Review: Timothy Ramsden 25 July

Excellently performed account of a mind that's aware of its individuality, but without coming to terms with itself.
Karen seems to have synaesthesia, experiencing one sense as another. She certainly feels a lot more than others do, her senses rather like the brightly coloured tiles picked out from the surrounding white of Pip Leckenby's set. Its clinical aspect reflects several things we learn about Karen. Though, by the time Helen Kelly's interrupted monologue reveals the focal whereabouts of the action, it's likely to be less of a surprise than is meant.

Claiming to be a masseuse, Karen has a lack of qualifications which clearly rankles. Thrown off most training courses, she veers to a household of Buddhists. The opportunity for indulging a meditational mush in their midst rather than be required to engage in clarity of thought is Karen-heaven.

In her everyday Essex voice, Sarah Moyle's Karen tells all, with a smile that searches for agreement and understanding. Her comedy adds a dimension to the 2D world Laurie Sansom's brisk production gives around her, with her dad and her boyfriend enjoying cut-out pints - one side full, the other angled as if slipping down the throat. Given the flask that pours cartoon coffee when angled, there's a neat separation between Karen's multi-sensory world of perceiving people's feelings as colour splashes and the comparative sanity around her.

The monologue which unsettles as it reveal an unstable personality isn't new Shakespeare's used it for Richard III. Kelly provides an entertaining enough example, though without much of a surprise, and with a limited way into her character's self-deception and rather shallow soul.

Still, Moyle achieves a sense of pity for the character in a fine performance, with expert multi-cameo support from Will Barton. But there are times you'd like to see Karen in action, dealing with other people rather than reporting back to us.

Karen: Sarah Moyle
Mark etc: Will Barton

Director: Laurie Sansom
Designer: Pip Leckenby
Sound: Ben Vickers
Costume: Christine Wall

2003-07-29 09:42:19