That Face @ RWCMD

With the end of term rapidly approaching, it's time for the Richard Burton Company, made up of Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama students, to show off what they have learnt this year. Regular readers will know that I'm a huge fan of the Richard Burton Company (see Merrily We Roll Along, O Go My Man, and Blood Wedding) so I was excited about this end-of-term showcase. There are three productions on Our Country's Good, Earthquakes in London and That Face, and as much as I'd like to, I can't see all three. Our Country's Good is the big draw it would seem, being staged in the impressive Richard Burton Theatre. However, I've learnt from experience that where the company really excel is with contemporary writing, so I was drawn towards the much more intimate That Face by Polly Stenham, which explores the relationship between an alcoholic, manic-depressive mother and her children.

That Face is Stenham's first play, for which she won the TMA Award for Best New Play in 2007. With just five characters (and a non-speaking part), That Face builds a detailed portrait of a family torn apart: a drunken mother, an absentee father, a rebellious daughter and a devoted son. Henry (Oliver Llewellyn-Jenkins) has only just turned 18, but has become a parent to his own mother, Martha (Emily Hargreaves), who, through substance abuse, is incapable of looking after herself. Martha clings on to Henry and manipulates him, with uncomfortable incestuous overtones, but Henry won't leave her as he refuses to give up the hope that one day, if he tries hard enough, he will get his mother back. By contrast, his 15-year-old sister, Mia (Aysha Kala) has escaped to boarding school, where mummy's drugs get her into a lot of trouble. Their father Hugh (Matthew Raymond) lives in Hong Kong with family number two, unable or unwilling to confront the madness he left behind. The subject matter is certainly difficult, then, but there is such a warmth to the play, particularly from the two siblings, that you really care for the characters and become deeply engrossed in their struggles. While their story is moving, it is not that unusual, so it's great to see a play which addresses these issues in such an engaging way.

I've been consistently impressed with Oliver Llewellyn-Jenkins this year, so I was very happy to see him take the lead again. As I've said before, he has such a natural style which makes his roles always seem so truthful. With Henry, he simultaneously expresses vulnerability and inner strength, kindness and resentment. Utterly captivating. Usually a solid supporting part, Emily Hargreaves now takes the lead as Martha. Playing a drunken manic depressive must be a real challenge, with a temptation to go too wild and ridiculous, but Hargreaves displays just the right amount of restraint. She is very sympathetic and makes it impossible to hate Martha, despite what her children are going through. As Mia, Aysha Kala has such an enticing spark. I compared Kala's acting in Blood Wedding with something out of a soap-opera, but she seems much more at home in That Face. At the beginning she perfectly creates the 'casual psychopath' feel, not too over-the-top but just a little glimmer of madness in the eyes and smile. Then as Mia comes to terms with her actions, Kala brings a real sensitivity to the part. I hadn't seen Matthew Raymond perform before and was very pleasantly surprised. Again, he is extremely natural and completely believable as a father who feels bad for deserting his children but at the same time would much rather be out of the difficult situation. Rounding off the cast, Portia Panteli plays Issy, Mia's friend/accomplice from boarding school. She too has a spark to her, an infectious enthusiasm, but she could do with being a little more natural in her acting.

Overall, That Face is both a commendable piece of new writing and an excellent vehicle for the talented RWCMD students. Highly recommended.

That Face is one of three productions from the Richard Burton Company on at the RWCMD until 2 June 2012. The others are Our Country's Good and Earthquakes in London. Look out for more productions through June and July, especially the musical review Closer To Heaven on 3-7 July 2012. Full details at http://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/whats_on/all_events.aspx
If you want to see more of the students I keep talking about in action, but can't make it to the RWCMD check out their acting profiles featuring video monologues.