Suspense-filled writing and intriguing performances
This two-woman play gives the audience a glimpse into the complicated lives and friendship – or lack thereof – of former best friends Ruth and Helena, writes Melina Block.
Taking place over the course of one night when the two women bump into each other in the lounge of The Clevedon Hotel, their tumultuous history and relationship with each other and the man they both married at one point are revealed. Sometimes the pacing can feel a bit too slow, but the commanding performances of Jilly Bond as Ruth and Bryonie Pritchard as Helena captivate the audience as more and more deeply buried secrets, traumas, and even the occasional joyful memory are divulged.
When a production has only two characters, it can be hard to keep the tension going, but Dawn of Reckoning doesn’t fall into this problem. A thoughtful meditation on the shame, guilt, and fear which can warp people’s lives, marriages, and families, Mark Bastin’s writing, and Matthew Parker’s direction keep just enough unsaid for most of the play, until the gut punch of an ending. The characters we never meet but hear so much about, the ones that have defined decades of pain and loss for Ruth and Helena, are conjured up through powerful dialogue that gives a real sense that the men of their past continue to haunt their present – in more ways than one.
The set and costume design is particularly lush, with the deep reds and detailed patterns of Ruth’s extravagant robe clashing with the plain, dark navy of Helena’s pyjama set, further illustrating the stark differences of the two women. There’s almost a sense of claustrophobia, that the women – and audience – are trapped in this lounge bar, forced to reckon with the complex and difficult ways their lives have collided over so many years.
With suspense-filled writing and equally intriguing performances, Dawn of Reckoning is a tense, thoughtful drama that is sure to encourage much reflection. White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Park Road, SE11 4DJ until 28th March.
Booking and full details: http://whitebeartheatre.co.uk/whatson/the-dawn-of-reckoning
