ATLANTIS
Climate change is never far away from our consciousness these days. It’s a threat that is as present as the threat of the stupidity of climate change deniers and particularly those in positions of power. The combination of both is quite frankly terrifying, the impact is no longer a future threat but a present danger, and one that is ever nearer. Once something that happened to others in distant places, it is now here on our own doorstep, far more worrying than a hosepipe ban!
Atlantis is a beautifully crafted wake up call to the coming impact of extreme weather change, a play written with power and yet at the same time with a delicacy, the message is strong but somehow delivered without feeling like we are being lectured, without feeling preachy or that we are being blamed, well perhaps blamed a little and blamed for not taking notice. That in itself is a triumph, in a world where older generations are being constantly blamed or “woken” to past mistakes, some it is true that we are responsible for, Atlantis makes it clear that our future safety is a shared responsibility.
Set in a small, low lying Welsh coastal town at the start of the 21st century a small dysfunctional family is dealing with the news that the authorities are declaring that sea wall protection is no longer an economical option and that as sea levels rise their town and home will have to be abandoned and that there will be little or no help and certainly no compensation. It happens.
The family, mother Gwen is a Greenham Common veteran, in touch with the earth and her Welsh heritage, father Bryn is grounded in that heritage and driven to campaign for their right to be protected in their home. Their daughter, a widowed single parent, is struggling to survive on zero hours, minimum wage care work and raising two young children, forced by circumstance to move back home and live with her parents. The benefits of their support at times outweighed by her anger and her drinking.
And from this point the story grows, the years move on, the children grow older and we re-meet them as teenagers, young adults who are embracing their grandmother’s campaigning energy as time becomes our present and global warming and the fight to recognise climate change is no longer that distant threat but has become that present danger.
In the climax of the drama we are in the future, the town is lost, a new generation is born and rather than a solution being found there is a metaphorical retreat to the hills.
Atlantis production photos by Marc Brenner & Danny Fitzpatrick
This co-production started life in Wales at the newly formed Theatr Clwyd. There is both a clarity and simplicity to the staging that allows the story to have real heart and genuine impact. As a family they are truly believable, much due to Emily White’s excellent story telling and natural phrasing. Guy Jones’ direction is powerful when needed but also has warmth, gentility and moments of much needed humour to lighten what can become very dark and gloom laden.
What really makes this piece the triumph that it is though is a simply stunning cast. Downtrodden Claire is played with a realness by Catrin Aaron, balancing her situation with both grace and maternal love and of course anger. Her father Bryn is the solid fisherman, angry yes but also loving and kind and his delivery of his love for his wife is so magically real. Richard Elfyn is every inch this man, a character so recognisable and so very real.
At the very heart of the whole we have earth mother Gwen, her Greenham past colouring her present in a way that people who lived through those years will readily recognise. Vivien Parry is simply extraordinary in the role, utterly believable and totally compelling and a poignant reminder to current youth that they did not invent eco or political consciousness nor did they create campaigning and protest, look back in history to see that protest is a human instinct.
Spanning 28 years it raises the issue that the children in the early part of the play cannot be played by the same actors who go on to play them as teenagers and later adults. Bring on Iris Dempsey and Rex Bamber as Rhiannon and Phillip. What amazing young talent they display, not just word perfect, and handling rather a lot of script, but delightfully real in each part, seldom do we see children this young charged with playing very important parts of a story as it unfolds and my word, they do it so very very well, little stars. And later in the play we meet David, Phillip’s son played by Benjamin Miglioli with equal dramatic skill and a vibrant and captivating energy.
Adult Rhiannon is played with passion by Eirlys Lovell-Jones, her teenage ambitions erupting into a driven and fearless creature whose life becomes defined by her beliefs. In a play that could be so very shouty, when she shouts you sit up and listen, she makes things so very real.
Alfie Llewellyn play brother Phillip, he is committed to the cause but less so, less academic and certainly less ambitious, again a character we can recognise and one for which we all need to learn to have more respect for. Ambition is not for everyone, we can all find our place in society without being driven to strive for academic achievement and worthless qualifications. Phillip is loveable and kind and the man you want as your friend… even when he falls in love with Astrid, the rich girl, privileged but not horrible and clearly kind, but in her own way and by her own rules. Sara Otung is so very likeable as Astrid when they meet and fall in love, but once hooked she is controlling, passive aggression always delivered with a smile. The moment she de-tinsels that Christmas tree is so very telling.
A word too for the very beautiful singing delivered by the women of the company, fabulous voices placed so well into the proceedings to offer moments of calm.
The whole flies by, it never flags, never drifts from telling us a burning truth and it does this in a way that is utterly convincing without ever being patronising. Thought provoking theatre at its very best, delivered by a company of amazing talent, from Frankie Bradshaws excellent set and Joshua Pharo’s perfect lighting and everyone else involved in creating this cohesive work of modern drama. It needs to be seen, it needs to tour, this is important stuff!
Andrew Kay
22 July
The Minerva Theatre Chichester
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