Having captivated and confronted audiences in London and New York, it’s Auckland’s turn to experience the extraordinary one-woman show Girls & Boys.
Through an engaging, conversational and confessional performance, audiences are drawn into the story of a mother of two, who verbally navigates the road of her relationship, which starts out as many do, with passion and spark. Then comes marriage and as the saying goes, the baby carriage, before things unravel.
Written by Tony Award-winning British playwright Dennis Kelly (Matilda The Musical), it gained raves with an initial 2018 run starring Carey Mulligan.
In September, Auckland Theatre Company presents the play with Beatriz Romilly (King Lear, Grand Horizons) taking on the funny, gutsy, messy woman who falls head over heels for a sexy, charismatic man. As her career ascends, her husband’s stagnates, bringing about changes in the relationship dynamic.
It is difficult to say more without revealing the key experience of the performance, but it’s fair to say the deeply shocking revelation is the reason there are a number of content warnings. Divulging more about the themes has the potential to perhaps put people off. But the fact that very real elements of the relationship, including violence (which is described but not seen), are being experienced by women everywhere is exactly why digging into this piece needs to happen.
The director of this production, Eleanor Bishop, agrees, saying those contemplating attending should consider the trigger warnings and consider their own capacity for these issues, but it is one role of the arts to challenge.
“I always talk about brave spaces, says Bishop. “We can have safe spaces, but we should also have brave spaces, spaces where we are being encouraged to be brave and bold. I think in this case, the production will hold you through it, because it’s very tender, it’s very beautiful, it’s very sad but it’s not trying to be extreme or shock you [for shocking’s sake], it’s really matter of fact.”
Bishop has just finished making her first short film as part of director Jane Campion’s pop-up film intensive, where 10 emerging filmmakers are supported through peer-to-peer learning, supported in part by Netflix.
Although film is a partial pivot in her career trajectory, she remains deeply involved in theatre and says she was stunned by an initial read-through of Girls & Boys with Romilly. “She’s a marvelous combination of being so tender and open-hearted and then just an incredible craftsperson and skilled performer,” Bishop says of the Spanish-born actor.
A solo-person performance requires significant talent to command and retain the audience’s attention. Bishop has no qualms that Romilly – alongside the skilled writing of the work and unique production details of the set – will rise to the challenge, establishing an intimate connection.
A world of memory
“Because it’s a solo work, she is creating a whole world around her, and it’s not a straightforward world because we’re dealing with memories and the processing of difficult events that have happened to her,” says Bishop. This means the audience is presented with not only a literal space but are invited inside a memory, or altered state.
She says Romilly’s ability to bring all the elements of the piece to life is remarkable. “She’s conjuring that world, all the different locations, and playing all the other people. For me, it’s like watching Simone Biles do gymnastics, it’s just so impressive.”
In terms of bringing a New Zealand lens to a work that has been performed around the world, the director muses that while violence is clearly an issue in this country, we may have stereotypes of what we think that looks like whereas the reality is often much closer to home.
“It’s really a wonderful opportunity to draw back the curtains on this very specific relationship,” says Bishop. “People will hopefully find some deeper understanding of what seems like an ‘issue’, but actually, is real lives – our lives, and those of people we know.”
As well, she believes that the relatable challenges of romantic relationships in terms of power dynamics, gender roles, childcare responsibilities and jealousy aren’t talked about enough in society in general. “We really don’t know what goes on inside people’s relationships. I’m always really fascinated to pull the veil off and look inside.”
Girls & Boys
10-22 September, 2024
ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland
atc.co.nz
