York Theatre Royal – Friday 12th April 2019
Reviewed by Sara Garner
3***
High tide and Loose Tongue’s productions of The Trick was written by Eve Leigh whose previous work includes Stone Face and Silent Planet.
The idea behind the play is about loss and bereavement, and its affect on the elderly widow Mira (Lachelle Carl). After the death of her husband Jonah (David Verrey), Mira appears to be comforted by his ‘ghost’.
We are ‘treated’ to a magic show at the start of the production and, whilst interesting, these interludes come across as a bit tacky and the analogies patronising.
These sometimes strange interludes interrupt an otherwise effectively emotional story of Mira and her mental and physical decline after her husbands death.
What is not clear is whether the comforting apparition of Jonah is meant to be a ghost or just in Miras imagination. However both actors perform the roles well and the audience feel connected with them, until yet another frustrating interlude.
Yes of course death, dying and bereavement is still a taboo subject and theatre is an ideal medium to deal with it.
On the whole, the four actors are more than competent to deal with such an emotive subject, but the play fails to deliver and far too frequently goes off track and the play falter.