Meet Esther Greenwood. She has her head in an oven.

Wish I had a Sylvia Plath begins with an iconic image. A well dressed, attractive and slim American woman roasting her head. The parallels with Plath are neither underplayed nor subtle. The fictitious element of this retelling adds theatricality and magic to a well-known tale of woe. With her frazzled hair and rambled conversations, Esther Greenwood might be a theatrical personification of the lucid insanity experienced by Plath during her last oven-encased minutes. Or she might not, it doesn't actually matter.

There are two states within this narrative; a linear remembering supported by exquisitely funny films that portray various events in Esther Greenwood/Plath's lives. This includes Esther meeting her husband 'Ned Pughes' for the first time - the famous cheek biting incident never seemed so laughable before - and a retrospective analysis of Greenwood/Plath's relationship with her parents. The other level is a recurrent TV-style-show entitled 'Tomes and Gardens'. This section is all the more macabre for its sunny and smiley presenter instructing the viewer on how to make a 52-liar lasagne, a black-brain soufflé and a perfect life.

The liar refers to Greenwood/Plath's husband who commits adultery and the black brain to the electric shock therapy that Greenwood/Plath had to cure depression. These are perfect examples for exploring the pain and tragedy that trickled through Plath's life. They still manage to expose light and humour. I Wish I Had Sylvia Plath is an explosion of extremes that inverts its own themes. Infidelity is everything and nothing. Poetry is sublime and ridiculous.

There are high production values - the costumes, set and lighting - the witty and well-incorporated films that backdrop the show. Esther Greenwood is played impeccably by Elisabeth Gray who hurtles through tensions and emotions with directness and wit. John Farmanesh-Bocca's direction is brave and consistent. Wish I Had a Sylvia Plath is simultaneously colourful and black and white. It is a finely crafted homage with a hint of ridicule. An adorable spectacle for Plath enthusiasts and a truly special piece of theatre.

Cast Credits: Elisabeth Gray - Esther Greenwood.

Company Credits: Writer - Edward Anthony. Director - John Farmanesh-Bocca. Producer - Kevin Wilson. Lights/Sound - John Farmanesh-Bocca. Company - Strophium Theatre Company.

END

(c) Sara Pascoe 2007

reviewed Monday 6 August 07 / Underbelly

Subeditor - Peter Andrews

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008