ED2011 3/5 Reviews ED2011 Theatre Reviews

New York By David Rimmer (American High School Theatre Festival)

By | Published on Wednesday 31 August 2011

Exploring feelings of trauma, fragmentation and memory in post 9/11 New York, this play depicts of a therapist’s office where the characters reveal their deepest responses to 9/11. The series of constant monologues mean the play lacks a climax or dynamism between characters; however, some of the characterisation is incredible, such as the Oklahoma cowboy, Hungarian widow, and teenager from Queens. The gaping absence of any Muslim character or voice in the play, however, sits on a strange note and makes the production one-dimensional. The show ultimately wallows in the quagmire of the tragedy, without offering anything productive – and perhaps because that’s just not the British “business as usual” way, it makes the transatlantic gap hard to bridge for this production.

Church Hill Theatre, 19 – 23 Aug (not 21), times vary, £5.00, fpp283.
tw rating 3/5
[hd]



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