Review: CELEBRATE ME, Merlin Theatre - Really Truly Theatre Company
Photo credit: Dave Merritt Photography
New kids on the block Really Truly Theatre Company formed in 2021, with the aim of producing original drama that spans multiple generations, an intention that has been well realised in their second production, Celebrate Me.
The piece centres around Barbara (Suzy Howlett) who will shortly be celebrating her 92nd birthday. Her daughters Laura (Juanita Carney) and Michelle (Tracey Ashford) have teamed up with their own daughters, Sophie (Daisy Mercedes) and Paige (Tabitha Lamb) and close family friend Naomi (Rosie Allerhand) to plan a birthday party to honour their matriarch but as the planning develops, secrets from Barbara’s younger life come to light, shocking the whole family.
The timeline splits, with flashbacks to the 1940’s and the bulk of the story still taking place in the present day. Simple changes in lighting and costume delineate the difference between the eras, and it is during these flashbacks that we learn of Barbara’s youthful romance that lead to a pregnancy outside of marriage, a socially unacceptable scandal in 1940’s London. Barbara’s younger self is played by Daisy Mercedes, and establishes the idea of the granddaughter mirroring her grandmother’s life.
Meanwhile in the present day, Sophie is experiencing her own struggles, not dissimilar to her grandmother's 70 years previously. The parallels in the two women’s predicaments are gently presented by Polly Lamb’s considered script, and the eventual decisions made by each of the characters serve to highlight the societal progression of the rights and choices afforded to women. Mercedes’ raw portrayal of a woman deciding to give up her child is incredibly moving, and is a lovely juxtaposition to some of the more comical moments in the piece.
Celebrate Me is a gentle piece of storytelling with some important themes and a poignant commentary on female familial relationships.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Sarah Brown
Celebrate Me will also perform one night at The Rondo Theatre in Bath on 9 June, with tickets available here.