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Not so much cuddly as bloodily Cuddles
mac, Birmingham
**** THEY say: “Never judge a book by its
cover”. Clearly, on the evidence of this piece, it would be equally wise
to never judge a play by its title. Joseph Wilde's harrowing, intense offering is
about as far from any sugar coated sweetness that the title suggests as
it's possible to be. Sure,
cuddles do
feature within the story, but certainly not in the way Disney would have
been proud of. Thematically, it's all very dark. Mental torture,
sibling rivalry and cruelty feature heavily but there are lighter sides
- even comedy from time to time. The plot gives more than a nod to a host of
familiar fairy tales. Eva (Carla Langley) is kept a virtual prisoner by
her controlling sister Tabby (Rendah Heywood). Locked away from the outside world, Eva knows
only what her sister wants her to know. She is Cinderella and Rapunzel
rolle Eva's only template of life is set by her sister.
She lives by simple rules - a kind of twisted Ten Commandments. She has
no idea about the world beyond her bedroom door and permanently
communicates in childlike statements. She believes (because Tabby has
told her ) that she is a vampire. In truth, she would believe she was a pineapple
if her sister told her she was - such is her total innocence. As a
vampire, she commits herself to the role. No daylight, a need for blood
and a fear of mirrors. It may not be real, but to Eva it most certainly
is. Carla Langley is utterly compelling as Eva,
switching from childlike wonder to blind panic in one easy turn. Her
focus and commitment to such a tough role is impressive. A brave,
exposed performance topped with real power. Rendah Heywood struts with menace as the evil
sister, Tabby. It's hard to like her, but that is surely the point. She
is not all dark and scary though - she tries at one point to find a
boyfriend but it's not easy when you are that high on the terrifying
scale. Heywood plays the comedy here beautifully and
provides a welcome respite from her characters' default wickedness. Just
like the designer dress she wears, she makes a real statement.
James Turner's stark, paper strewn set is
suitably dingy whilst Pablo Baz's lighting adds a foreboding tinge to
the overall perspective, It seems increasingly tougher to get bums on
seats these days. This play deserved more than the 25 or so who turned
up on the night I was in. It's worth noting that the final leg of the
tour is in New York. If it's good enough for them . . . Directed by Rebecca Atkinson-Lord, cleverly
written and beautifully acted, Cuddles is well worth a look. Tom Roberts
30-04-15 Remaining tour dates 1 – 3 May Malborough
Theatre, Brighton
www.marlboroughtheatre.org.uk, 01273 273870 6 – 16 May Ovalhouse,
Kennington Oval, London
www.ovalhouse.com,
020 7582 7680 19 – 23 May Royal
Exchange, Manchester,
www.royalexchange.co.uk, 0161 833 9833 25 – 26 May Barbican
Theatre, Plymouth,
www.barbicantheatre.co.uk, 01752 267 131 3 – 28 59E59 Theatres,
New York, USA,
www.59e59.org, 001-212-279-4200 ,
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d
into one while her wicked sister rules the roost as a power dressing,
potty mouthed Cruella de Ville inspired sibling.