Rose (Ambassadors Theatre, London, Personal)
🌟 Rose 🌟
08 June 2023 at 7:30pm at Ambassadors Theatre, London
★★★★★
Rose, a one woman play written by Martin Sherman, and performed by Maureen Lipman, is an exemplary performance of what's best about pure theatre today. Upon original concept, watching a show where a woman sits upon a wooden bench for over 2 hours seems rather slow paced and dull, though Rose is such an incredibly moving and thought provoking performance that brings up many important questions regarding morality and the power of life.
I really liked the minimalist set design from David Shields, using the somewhat confined box as a site for rising tension, dramatizing the story to become a pressure cooker scenario. The wooden bench holds great importance, using the performance time to condense and reflect the Jewish mourning tradition of 'sitting shiva'. As a demonstration of respect for loved ones lost, we immediately begin to sympathise with Rose, as the script does describe the concept of shiva, for those like myself who were unaware before the show. The screen of light behind the bench was very simplistic, using melded colours to mirror the text at times, which overall added to the aesthetics of the piece, certainly more hopeful sequences. Because of the minimalism, the focus is purely on Lipman, and I found that the more you stare at her face, it almost seems to change along the show where the actress I knew became almost unrecognisable because you begin to see so much in someone's face after so long. This, I presume, wasn't a deliberate creative choice, though it was so fascinating as you see a lived experience in the face, and the purity of every emotion through the face.
Dame Maureen Lipman is a marvel on the stage, as if the character of Rose was made for her. It's easy to credit actors for large, outspoken roles, though Lipman finds the beauty within the quiet, channelling the philosophical power of Sherman's writing. My main concern of a one actor show is being able to 'hear the script' and feeling as the lines are being simply read. But the outstanding thing about Lipman is that she breathes life into the words, in a way you forget her legendary status as an actress and believe she IS Rose, owning the character's history as it feels more memory over text. The Ambassadors is a rather small venue, which makes the relationship between Rose and us very intimate, almost sat alongside an old friend. Lipman really understands the power of a story, and being restricted through the wooden bench, she finds the perfect ways of communicating feeling through body language and expression in her vocal tone. There is a shift in themes from the first to seconds acts, whereby her mannerisms greatly adapt to the change, truly an actress any director would dream of.
Martin Sherman's writing is utterly spectacular, as we are taken on a life journey beginning in a Nazi dominated Europe, and following the glamour of the American dream. The sense of hope which is revitalised through Act 2 is a pleasure to see, but equally the text brings up harrowing, yet important narratives of genocide and mass violence, which has a frightening relevance even in today's society. This production handles Judaism, the Yiddish language and connotations of life very sensitively, and with respect for the culture. The piece indulges in humour in a very delicate sense, complimenting the harsher themes of Act 1 in a way which doesn't desensitize or disrespect the importance of the story. There is a moment of the script which allows Lipman to cleverly bounce off audience laughter, further heightening the relationship we feel with Rose and connecting with her story. I found Julian Starr's use of sound to work incredibly well in conjunction with the script, with fleeting sound effects to mimic an atmosphere and a faded memory. As we recount memories, particularly at Rose's age of 80, there are certain senses we remember, if only for a moment, and Starr's sound highlights this beautifully.
Rose, starring Dame Maureen Lipman, is an absolute triumph, and somewhat of a hidden gem in the West End, which is a shame, because not only is the show produced incredibly, but the message contained across Rose's insufferable narrative is all the more important for audiences today. Under Scott Le Crass' direction, this West End revival of Rose deserves many awards. With a long journey from Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre, to the Park Theatre and finally the Ambassadors Theatre, this marvel of a show continues to delight audiences, and fingers crossed for another return of the show after its currently limited West End run.
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