[Performance Analysis:] STALLED: THE MUSICAL, The King's Head Theatre, London.
I have really mixed feelings about this performance, notably due to the significant shift in emotional truth, authenticity and performance style that occurs at the midway point. Suddenly, there is a clever clashing climax in the stories of the characters — but chiefly in those of Cynthia (Josie Benson) and Emma (Grace Venus), and Maggie (Lauren Ward). Indeed, I even observe that the performers themselves could connect much more deeply with their characters in the latter part of the performance too, with a definite increase in conviction and credibility. Before this shift, material certainly feels rushed and indecisive, favouring fast pace, caricature and humour over character depth and development.
With a performance like this presenting such varied characters and their stories, a certain reliance often arises upon cliché and caricature — to prevent an audience from losing track and to communicate information quickly and clearly. This is certainly the case for this performance which quite routinely feels commercial and stilted — especially in choreography. However, when the text does really dedicate some well-needed time to each of the characters, that aforementioned [positive] shift occurs, and the material is far more fruitful.
Whilst depictions of autism, for instance, remain quite stereotypical and somewhat superficial, it is the interactions between the characters that really serve as its major selling point. Ward portrays her character with a truly commendable accuracy and with conviction, dedication and understanding. Her work here has the potential to be truly very moving [as it certainly was for me]. And this goes hand in hand with an effective character portrayal of grief and bereavement in the text itself. Whilst elements and techniques surrounding this portrayal are very predictable and hence somewhat inefficacious — that Rebecca-Jo Roberts should be the ghost of her daughter, Robin, for example, lingering to give her advice from beyond the grave — Maggie's stagnancy, in particular, is very well communicated and most effective, along with her fixations and poetic-vs-absent relationship to her own grief.
Character voices are extremely well differentiated, pairing well with the overall cast's excellent portrayals. I would just pay attention to how the characters truly relate to and progress the overarching themes and narrative of the text. Namely, Krystal's (Regina Co) and Serena's (Evita Khrime) stories are distinctly different — both in written content and in their portrayal in performance — only loosely related to the main narrative by the themes of loss and motherhood. On the topic of Serena, the incorporation of spoken word convolutes performance style quite significantly and, simply, dilutes the material in its repetitiveness and esotericism; the spoken word work in this performance is simply quite weak and needs to be reconsidered.
There were quite a number of technical difficulties for the particular matinée I attended — lavalier microphones not working, unsynchronised lighting transitions, etc. — and these certainly ought to be addressed. Also, realism would certainly have been achieved with working spray bottles, mobile phones that are actually switched on and displaying something relevant, and [most of all] working taps. Mime has no place in a performance with such elaborate theatrical properties like this one; it is most destructive of illusion where very simple solutions may be conceived and allows for a stylistic inconsistency [toilet rolls, hand tissues, bins, cubicles, hand lotions…but no running water]. This is a play set in a public toilet, after all; running water should be a must in its design.
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