The loss of a parent: something we have all
faced or will face in years to come. It will never seem fair, or right, or
time. No matter the circumstance, it will incite a myriad of emotions – some we
didn’t even know we could feel. Unholy
Ghost navigates through a world of grief and through this, emerges a
familiar portrait of life – one pervaded by absurdity and unexplainable
occurrences, at times endearing experiences and at others, heartbreaking ones.
Campion Decent’s remarkably real play highlights the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of a dysfunctional family. The
play follows the story of a middle-aged playwright (James Lugton), who is faced
with the imminent death of both of his parents. Lugton performs with warmth and
confidence and interacts with the audience with ease. He is playful and conversational,
bridging us to his story.
One cannot dismiss the Mother (Anna Volska)
and Father (Robert Alexander), whose individual stories and performances
reduced me to tears. They encapsulated the foibles and eccentricities of their
characters - the slightly racist remarks, the irrational behaviour and the
terribly frustrating conversations, all the things that mean nothing when we
have to finally consider a parent’s eventual passing.
There were moments that played upon the
sensitivity of the subject matter and at times it was all snatched out from
under us. It was this cyclical and lifelike approach to the writing that made
it so successful.
Director Kim Hardwick brought the absolute
best out of Decent’s writing and Michael Huxley’s sound design added
sentimentality to the play, with glimmers of music in the opening scenes,
recurring later in a bittersweet reprise.
The production design by Martin Kinnane was
a downfall though - the red velvet carpet felt kitsch and unnecessary. Also, the
bubbles, disco lights and 80s music at the end wasn’t exactly the ending I was
hoping for. It seemed to dismiss the sadness, undermine the reality and upset
the natural course of the drama. It sort of flung it all away in one grand
gesture of “carpe diem” when so much of the play seemed to assert a different
attitude.
Having said that, it is poignant writing and
it undeniably resonates with us all – it reminds us of the fragility of life,
and rationalizes the complex and, at times, incomprehensible relationships we
have with our parents. Unholy Ghost is a beautiful trinity of
mother, father and son; past, present and future; devastating, delightful and delicate.
