Review: Blackbird
Venue: The Lowry
Date Reviewed: 28th May, 2008
A woman arrives unannounced at Ray’s place of work at the end of an ordinary day. Una has a secret and longs for answers which connect her to this hard working man. Fifteen years prior, these two had a sexual relationship. Una is now 27 and Ray has done time, as has she, metaphorically speaking.
He has changed his name but ironically Una has spent years being constantly reminded of her sexual past by gossips and neighbours. She now seeks answers but not in the name of revenge. Armed only with a pack of tissues and the art of conversation, she sets out to gain some understanding of the situation.
What makes David Harrower’s play so gripping is the inriguing central plot stand of a woman seeking to find what she found so enigmatic as a child, but also the fact that we are spared the monster vs. Lolita stereotypes. The performers rise to the challenge of adding colour, where this is so much darkness. Robert Daws‘ Ray is so sympathetic that when he breaks down, you feel his pain, even if you do not completely understand him.
Dawn Steele is completely mesmerising as the woman seeking the loving man from her childhood. She oozes sex appeal, as this is the only way she knows how to reach Ray and the uncomfortable truth is that she wants him. With no clear binary opposites, the play stands out from the pack, as these two fractured souls remain likeable, tortured, yet guarded. We do not really know what motivates them and this makes the play more resonant.
When Ray tells Una that he has researched “those people”, you begin to question your own sense of ethics. Likewise Una says to him: “I said yes and I kept saying yes” so your image of an ‘innocent’ lured by a man, intent on grooming her is completely blurred. As the two find out more about each other, there is an excellent scene whereby the two throw rubbish at one another; ironic and poignant, as that is what they have been doing to each other for years after the event.
Blackbird is a thought-provoking and involving exploration of human behaviour and societal norms. Did these two love each other? Is Una seeking validation or is it that Ray is the only one who understands her fully? Harrower does not attempt to answer all of these questions, but what he does reveal is uncomfortable but utterly compelling.
See this excellent play before it closes, as it is ninety minutes of challenging and unforgettable drama.
-Glenn Meads