The Almond and the Seahorse

Contact Theatre
Friday 11th – Saturday 12th April

It is always interesting when theatre tackles an issue which hasn’t been directly explored until now. Kaite O’Reilly’s new Welsh play The Almond and the Seahorse, directed by Phillip Zarrilli, focuses on the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Joe and Gwennan have survived TBI, but as a result they have been subjected to extreme memory loss. Sarah and Tom, their partners, represent those “at home” who are left to respond to the devastating memory loss of their loved ones. The fifth and final character is Dr Ife Falmer, who mediates between the audience and the actors to provide a critical, rational view of the action onstage as the lives of the characters overlap and intertwine.

From this description, it is understandable why the play may be considered almost as a rather clinical docudrama – as though it is an insight for doctors into the emotional effects of TBI on their patients. However, the play is successful because it stretches beyond this scientific element into a tender depiction of the fragility of memory, ageing and devotion.

After a somewhat fragmented, cluttered opening, the play leaps into the hearts and minds of the characters with real honesty. Each scene is quietly intense and gripping; effectively accompanied by darkened, gloomy lighting states which accentuate the hazy memories within the narrative. You might find that a little more comedy is needed at times, because when O’Reilly does inject humour into her script it provides a much-needed moment of respite from the sad and painful story. Nevertheless, the actors all work to keep a slow and deliberate pace. Each actor avoids building distress and devastation too early. In fact, Ian Saynor’s tender portrayal of the ageing and hopeless Tom cleverly leaves the audience hungry for a little more despair as the play ends.

The production has a remarkable aesthetic. The set is bold and dynamic, although teeters on the edge of looking like the cover of an Ikea catalogue. The modern stage setting and application of natural elements reinforces the concept of time – nature remains fixed around us as we age and forget. But all in all, the best thing about the play is that, ironically, it is memorable. In fact, O’Reilly’s rich and multi-layered text offers almost too much to absorb in a single viewing.

8/10