Obstacles to Coming Home promised a beautiful and thought provoking piece of visual theatre, however, the performance was confusing and there is very little to commend it. Typifying a performance which promises so much but delivers very little, the piece was uncomfortable to watch and erred on the wrong side of ‘experimental’
The production company, Angel Club (north), which aims to generate experimental and contemporary theatre pieces, comprises of Chris Gillinghan, Alice Robinson and Phil Sykes who performed Obstacles to Coming Home. The piece attempts to explore the nostalgia of journeying away from England, and the obstacles couples and friends need to overcome in search of the place they want to call “home”. The concept itself was certainly engaging, however, the performance was hit and miss – in most instances miss.
The performance was based on two great American novels: The Executioner’s Song and On the Road and aspects of the piece explored the real life relationship between murderer Gary Gilmore and his wife Nicole. Alice and Chris delivered stories and memoirs based on this relationship as they chartered their own progress through America, represented by the large map detailing the country which they stood on throughout the performance. By symbolically and physically being “in” America and envisaging the journey, the actors were able to demonstrate a certain distance between themselves which is difficult on such a small stage. The use of space was good in this respect and tied in with the contradictory themes of home and belonging which are touched upon in the piece; as they move further towards “home” they drift apart.
However, the relationship between the actors was not believable and some of the scenes between them were cringe-worthy. The third actor bizarrely sat in the background for much of the performance and contributed very little, creating an awkward atmosphere on stage. Many of the jokes and puns in the performance were also very “cheesy” and were accompanied by dire and long winded monologues which did little to disguise the shaky plot line which continuously veered off track. A scene between Alice and Chris when they were depicting Gary and Nicole’s relationship included a shiny gold dress and wig, and a laser gun pointed at the audience with electro-tech music; many members of the audience were left scratching their heads, and others were prone to spontaneous bouts of laughter.
The production was evidently low budget, yet with enough imagination and inspiration should have been no obstacle (no pun intended.) A lack of resources was plainly evident throughout the performance and irrefutably hindered the delivery of the piece. The video projection of American landscapes was not enough to take us away from The Lowry setting, but further reinforced that we were sitting in an auditorium. Minimal use of costumes and lighting did little to help further the performance of Obstacles to Coming Home and only added to the disappointment.
Although the piece itself was forgettable, Alice Robinson delivered a good performance throughout some of the show, particularly in the rare emotional scenes and could pivot between the sad, cruel and funny within seconds. She offered a glimmer of sunshine in an otherwise overcast and slightly depressing evening at The Lowry.
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