Constellations: Where Is Peter Capaldi?
My first live live theatre post-Lockdown 3.0 in the UK. Though socially distanced theatre is weird — arrive half an hour early, temperature scan, track and trace check in, socially distanced tags on the seats; it does stop the 9 foot man from sitting infront of me and leaning forward (cos clearly they can’t see)! Also some nice banter behind the masks and a warm and safe feeling on entry and exit to the show.
I booked this thinking this was the Peter Capaldi one — whoops! But Sheila Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah were equally amazing. This time the director has varied the ages, gender, binaries? of the couples and steps back to see what happens… Think Physics meets Sliding Doors meet the time bits of Interstellar meets Romance and all the ‘what if’s’ are thrown into a single play.
Sheila Atim is a bit foul mouthed — I wish strong, independent, clever woman in theatreland didn’t equal potty mouth! Profanities aside, Sheila is a strong, independent scientist and in some versions Ivanno Jeremiah’s urban beekeeper is attracted to her; in some their initial chats end in awkwardness or a damp squib. It’s such a clever play as the same scenes are replayed again and again but with very different outcomes and intonations, and as the audience we follow all the strands. It’s heart in mouth and I wanted to groan as sometimes the proposal works, and sometimes the ring and speech are forgotten or delivered in a super sweaty, ‘floor swallow me now’ cringe kind of way. Couldn’t help but want to shout ‘say yes’ as the beekeeper proposed pre-tutorial time. It’s also not all about the science — there is ballroom dancing!
The play hints at, but doesn’t really investigate fully, what happens when one partner in a marriage or relationship develops a life threatening, debilitating illness which stops them being them or brings significant change to them. It does however encourage us to think about what it means to be human, and what is the value of a life? It never really goes towards the spiritual, being all about the science; but it should. For me, given that the last year has seen our Prime Minister prepared to throw frontline workers, and the most vulnerable (elders, those with learning difficulties and disabilities, children) effectively under a bus for the sake of following the science or ideas of herd immunity, Pandemic has shown us (I hope) the value of a life, of each and every life; and how valuable all life is.
In this play, euthanasia is positively embraced as a life of long-term sickness and illness is seen as unviable and unliveable (being kept alive is the fear, not death); and yet, I feel it could have pushed harder at asking the questions of ‘what does it mean to live and be alive’, ‘what is a valuable or worthwhile life?’ and looked more at palliative care and dignity in long-term illness and suffering, and if illness damages ‘usefulness’ in someone, does it stop us being human and of worth? Purpose is hinted at a bit, but it never goes beyond that to wonder what the point is and what we’re here for, why we’re here….? Loved the frantic and energetic communication in sign language as it shows that it is still possible to keep living and being very much alive despite chronic pain and illness, and still get the point across that balloon giving equals spousal death! So point to the producer, make us wonder more!
Most of all, it is very, very funny and the dynamism of the two actors in sustaining all the scenarios, emotions and keeping going on rewind and replay for 75 minutes is extraordinary! As is the set!
Photo of Constellations from iNews
Constellations: There He Is!
Fortunate enough to see Peter Capaldi on Sunday, and got a free upgrade from restricted view to perfectly unrestricted view. I think the first couple were funnier, more romantic and believable somehow, and their stage positioning was perfection — Zoe Wannamaker and Peter Capaldi do bring some laughs though as she is petite and he is so tall; there also seems to be more kissing (perhaps a throwback from the Doctor Who years?!!!) This time, there was more pathos, and more emphasis on living in the terrible decision rather than choosing to be assisted in dying.
Again, this does all lead to the question — what value life, do we have the right to choose how we live or die in this way? what value suffering and commitment in a relationship when things or that person really changes due to terminal illness.
There was a lot of comedy in their failed chat up lines (even ad-libbing!) and the sign language scene, and an unexpected darkness as domestic abuse was hinted at… Also to hear Doctor Who say that he didn’t know anything about Space was the strangest thing….
Constellations: The One With Anna Maxwell Martin and Chris O’Dowd
Here Roland (Chris O’Dowd) was not respecter of science and all things sciency — it was interesting in the first version I saw that a deeply scientific woman was allowed to speak and be attractive — here the guy is bored by her intellectual prowess in one the scenarios. Chris O’Dowd is very, very funny mostly by body language and facial expression — Anna Maxwell Martin brings more vulnerability and emotion to Marianne. The first version still have the perfect positioning; here the couple do a lot more acting in terms of expression, tone, nuances.
The threat in one scenario when Chris O’Dowd’s character refuses to leave and suggest abuse is very strong; and I finally got what Marianne’s muddled brain is trying to say, before we put faith and sin on the value of life and the body, we were our own and could do what we liked with ourselves and our lives. I still think this play could push more in terms of faith/spirituality and the value of palliative care, even dignity in painful lives and suffering — it seems to frighteningly suggest that as soon as your life is cut short and your high functioning brain stops working, your life is no longer worth living, More could have been said about living with and through the suffering and the support of couples when one is terminally ill.
Watch the balloons changing colour scene by scene in the background!
