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Stage Spell Theatre Company presents the UK premiere of The Bird Sanctuary
By Frank McGuinness
Directed by Liisa Smith
ROSEMARY BRANCH THEATRE 29 April – 18 May, 2008
Couzens A review bySimon Clancy for EXTRA! EXTRA!
More often than not, family life is a contradiction; ‘that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape’ so famous novelist Dodie Smith once put it. No doubt, Stage Spell’s The Bird Sanctuary is certainly a true reflection of that, displaying an odd-ball mix of characters in their never-ending struggle to maintain a fragile family unit. But its irregular action, some contrived moments, and acting that is seemingly always aware of itself, means this slice of domestic trials and tribulations ends up a bit of a muddle. In a grand, old Irish house, in the mid 1990s, Eleanor (Clare Kissane) is expecting guests. Her estranged sister, Marianne (Margaret Moore), is visiting the family home for the first time in three years, while a third sibling, Robert (Mark Pollard), is due at the reunion along with disagreeable wife Tina (Fiona Cuskelly), and their homosexual son, Steven (James Boyle). On arrival, artist-type Eleanor clashes with business-professional Marianne, before the issue of Steven’s sexuality brings out the ugly side of Tina, and leaves the family on the verge of collapse. But it isn’t all doom and gloom. This is comedy-drama, after all, more along the lines of say an Irish Coronation Street than an Irish Eastenders. And that’s not an inappropriate comparison: The Bird Sanctuary plays very much like a two-hour soap-opera special, skirting a fine line between comic moments and those we’re meant to take seriously. Unfortunately, this is probably why director Liisa Smith’s play falls down. Outlandishly humourous moments are invariably preceded and followed by either vicious arguments, tears, or apparently heartfelt meandering. The audience ends up struggling to know when it is appropriate to laugh and, indeed, when it is not. With the notable exception of Clare Kissane’s Eleanor, the acting doesn’t help things either as, on the whole, it is not strong enough to mark such distinctions. The scene where the family gathers around Eleanor’s portrait of their dearly departed father, for instance, is particularly misleading. Though the domestic setting, naturalistic lighting, and a subtle soundtrack do go some way to restoring the illusion before us, I’m afraid to say it’s not enough to save a dysfunctional family from a somewhat dysfunctional piece of theatre.
ROSEMARY BRANCH THEATRE 2 Shepperton Road, £12 (£8 concessions) All seats £8 on Wednesdays
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