Moving on with humour and grace
Brendan Murray’s playexamines grief, human weaknesses and the power of shared memories, writes Barbara Buchanan.
Retired nurse Terry potters around a breakfast table decked with daffodils, a jug and mug of tea when he has an unexpected guest. There is a knock on the door and Matt (Darren Cheek) bursts in assailing Terry (Brendan Murray) with a barrage of angry questions.
Terry knows Matt is the son of his married lover Barry; now he was discovering Barry had died. Matt, though, has only just discovered his father had been unfaithful, not with a woman but another man and is seething with anger and resentment. “What you did to my Mum was unforgiveable,” he shouts. Terry is too sad and overwhelmed to offer any resistance. The charged atmosphere subsides as they realise they have something in common – grief and a shared history with Barry.
“It isn’t that you didn’t know who he was, it’s that you’re getting to know him better,” says Terry.
Brendan Murray authentically conveys Terry’s sadness and bewilderment as he moves around the stage in a tired downtrodden way while he analysises his predicament. There’s the occasional raise of an eyebrow in reaction to his fate as an ageing single gay man.
Darren Cheek’s softening voice and empathetic eyes portray Matt’s shift from self-righteous indignation to someone who feels for Terry.
Willie Elliott’s tight direction gives the play pace, with Murray’s natural dialogue taking us to the believable conclusion of Act One that Matt and Terry will keep in touch.
Act Two and the breakfast table has morphed into a dining table with sympathy cards, a box of old photos and Barry’s old suitcase. His widow ,Jill (Karen Spicer), is absent-mindedly perusing the sympathy cards while coming to terms with a life alone,when Matt enters.
“Was it alright?” she asks.
“The sausage rolls were fine. It was all fine,” he replies.
The script shows how the mundane enables people grieving to cling on to a sense of normality without having to touch on deeper feelings. In many ways, Jill’s relationship with Barry is like Terry’s. They have both evaded confrontations to avoid losing the person they love.
Learning How to Dive illustrates the human desire to see what they want but ignore uncomfortable truths. This play shows the transformative power of debunking old secrets and having the courage to be yourself.
White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Park Road, London SE11 4DJ, until 21st February and full details www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk
