The Play: Funeral Flowers by Emma Dennis-Edwards
The Theatre: Red Stitch Actors Theatre St Kilda
Runtime: 60 Minutes
Until: August 23
Stars: 4.5
I love the Red Stitch Actors Theatre. They're quality. Their production of Emma Dennis-Edwards' play Funeral Flowers is everything you expect and maybe a little more. This short one-hander is extraordinary. For a short play, it packs an incredible punch.
Angelique (Lucy Ansell) is seventeen, and she dreams of being a florist. She's from North London. To be honest, she's not having a great time of things. She's in the foster system, her mother's in prison, she's been bullied at school, her boyfriend is being needy and inconsistent... she's not had a great time of things. Her salvation is coming with her working with flowers. They give her hope, and joy and a reason to get up in the morning.
During the one hour of the play we not only meet Angelique, but her foster carer, Sam, the feckless boyfriend, Mickey, and Angelique's downtrodden mother. We watch as Angelique makes both bad, then much better choices. She grows up a hell of a lot in this hour on the stage.
Lucy Ansell is incredible. This is a tour de force. The intimate nature of the 90-seather theatre is perfect for this play. You get to see every emotion flow over her face. Ansell's accents are spot on. I will admit that on numerous occasions I thought I was watching an old flatmate from London.
Candy Bowers direction is perfect, bringing both the joy, despair and ultimate growth in this amazing character. Based on the life of Tottenham community leader Gina Moffatt, Funeral Flowers is a raw, lyrical and deeply human monologue about growing up, fighting back, and finding hope where it seems impossible.
This is definitely worth a look.
I've fallen in love with the work of the Red Stitch Actors Theatre. Their work is superlative. I'll be back for more.
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