Review: HELPING HANDS, Sound Stage - Pitlochry Festival Theatre

New audio play Helping Hands, written by Cathy Forde and directed by Ben Occhipinti for Pitlochry Festival Theatre, focuses on the relationship between Rose, an agency support worker who cares for the elderly and Hilda, one of her clients.

A relationship develops between them that neither anticipated, but both desperately needed.  However, whilst the relationship is developing, one of them is going to make a decision that will change everything.

Hilda (Maureen Beattie) and Rose (Charlene Boyd), are both characters who would not normally be given a voice, but whose voice’s we urgently need to hear!  The older woman is determined to try and remain independent in her own home and refuses to be prodded and poked by medical practitioners in a hospital, whilst also not wanting to see someone younger than her make the same mistakes that she did.  

It’s a thought-provoking piece.  How determined would it make us to be at the end of our lives and to be able to see something in someone else’s life that is making them desperately unhappy and knowing that you can change that, because you’ve been there and you’ve regretted it and you can’t let someone else do that too?

The dialogue is real, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes with a dry sense of humour, but always interesting and noteworthy.  It’s easy to listen to and become absorbed in their lives, wanting what’s best for both characters and empathising easily with their issues.

A most suitable audible escape.

***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: Rachel Louise Martin

Helping Hands premieres on Sound Stage from 26-28 November here.