Soho Theatre, London – until 6th October
Reviewed by Heather Chalkley
5*****
A spellbinding performance by Nancy Sullivan as Leah. We were taken through the whole range of emotions experienced by a young women, trying to live the dream and realising very quickly the fairy tale is exactly that! Leah (Nancy Sullivan) travels a quick journey to adulthood after suffering a traumatic sexual assault from her husband on their wedding night. Battling her way through the myriad of expectations, false images and pressures of married life, she then faces
another assault from someone she thought was coming to her aid. Nancy Sullivan (Leah) engages with the audience, with individual eye contact that felt like she was talking directly to you. She bought characters in her story to life through her physical presence and tone of voice.
The warrior in Leah (Nancy Sullivan) was forced to come out, after being emotionally battered by the courts, her family and the attitude of the world in general towards women. It is sad that Leah’s beauty and grace are interpreted by all as the reason, the excuse for the abuse. At the end Nancy Sullivan (Leah) portrayed a fragile strength that enabled her to step forward into a fresh start with new hope.
Abi Zakarian has written a power script, every word and action conveying a message. The direction and staging by Hannah Hauer-King and The Creatives is perfectly timed to deliver a dramatic piece that captivates you from the start. I particularly liked the use of ansaphone messages to convey the attitude of others.
Solace Women’s Aid have chosen the right company to partner with, to deliver this impactful way to raise awareness of domestic and sexual abuse. Damsel Productions are bringing the subject in at a comprehensible, everyday level that I believe audiences can relate to. Good theatre is entertaining, informing and questioning and Fabric certainly delivers on that. For the full benefit of the performance I recommend you sit on the little stalls in the front row!