ALLOTMENT
Can you dig it? Yes we
can! ++++=
Whatever happens to Dora
and Maddy, the chalk-and-chips sisters at the heart of Jules Horne's sweetly
observed play, you know they will be outlived by their surroundings. The soil
beneath their feet, the weeds that have persisted for millions of years and the
insects that buzz across the working allotment where the two-hander is
performed will all persist long after they've gone.
The setting means that even
though Nicola Jo Cully and Pauline Goldsmith act out the whole life cycle of
the squabbling siblings, you get a sense of life cycles gone by and those still
to come. As the actors muddy their hands on real earth and savour the aroma of
a real mint plant, the site-specific location adds a real poignancy to Horne's
observational script. It is a poignancy enhanced by the actors' witty and
sympathetic understanding of the women's love-hate relationship.
Directed with loving
attention to detail by Kate Nelson – from the mug of tea we get on arrival
to the props that emerge from the soil itself – Nutshell's production is a
grow-your-own treat. (Mark Fisher)
Assembly Inverleith
Allotments, 623 3030, until 28 Aug (not 15, 22), times vary, £10.
© Mark Fisher 2011
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