[Photo: Claire Coaché (L), Cassie Friend (C), Rebecca Loukes (R); credit (c) Lisle Turner 2009]

The Idiot Colony is a play based on true stories from patients of former mental institutions. It is a sometimes shocking but consistently captivating piece of theatre.

The piece begins with three actors (Claire Coaché, Cassie Friend, Rebecca Loukes) stood on stage with their hair over their faces. Perhaps surprisingly, this simple action creates an unusually disturbing image. As the play goes on the balance between chilling dissonance and light relief is well-pitched. Early on the sight of one of the patients confused as she spits stone after stone out of her mouth is subtly effective. A little later more of the patients' pasts is revealed. As they lie on their beds - cleverly made of towels - Cassie Friend tells her character's back-story. Half-way through, the lights are turned out and the scene continues in the dark which makes it uncomfortable to watch. All at once, upbeat music plays and the performers go into a dance, a perfectly-timed relief. This is followed by the funniest scene in the play in which the character meets a man in a 1940s cinema. Cassie Friend gives a strong comic performance; her facial experiments and gestures are expertly timed, as if choreographed.

Action quickly turns from comic to tragic, highlighting the thin line between laughter and crying. Claire Coaché gives an extraordinary performance as she tells the story of her character's rape - touching, horrifying, full of tension. Writing, by Lisle Turner is deeply affecting and tightly scripted; nothing is wasted, nothing gratuitous.

There is a controversial scene in which Cassie Friend blacks-up half her body. It is shocking to watch, but used to portray effectively the love between a black man and a white woman. The company manage to use one of the most offensively racist actions to promote racial harmony. People watching will make their own decisions, but it works well in this performance. After getting over the initial shock, it does not feel offensive.

One of the most remarkable achievements of The Idiot Colony is how easy it is to forget that there is no set and only minimal props; most of the play is performed only using four chairs and three towels. This is primarily due to the remarkable sound design and music by Jonny Pilcher. He successfully creates a fully three-dimensional world of atmosphere and sound effects which are perfectly matched by a hauntingly simple piano score. In one deft move the scene switches from a salon to a garden, without distracting from the action on stage. Clever and effective use of lighting is designed by John Farquhar-Smith. Combined, they prove that a lot can be done with very little.

The Idiot Colony is a stongly affecting piece of theatre which is both shocking and touching in all the right ways. Near the end, the lyric 'I promise you this afternoon, you'll see something extraordinary and unforgettable' nicely sums it up.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Claire Coaché – various. Cassie Friend – various. Rebecca Loukes – various.

Company Credits: Writer – Lisle Turner. Director – Andrew Dawson. Designer – Andrew Dawson. Original Music – Jonny Pilcher. Lighting Designer – John Farquhar-Smith. Sound Designer - Jonny Pilcher. Costume Designer – Rosie Gwilliam. Technical Manager – Anna Mathews. Assistant Director – Sabina Netherclift. Assistant Director – Ben Samuels. Company Stage Manager – Harriet Saffin. Production Assistant – Katie Roberts. Researcher – Jane Jackson. Photographer - Lisle Turner. Producer – uncredited. Company - Turtle Key Arts. Website - www.turtlekeyarts.org.uk. Company – RedCape Theatre. Website - www.redcapetheatre.co.uk.

Thanks To: John & Maria Luther, Martin Sutherland, Annabel Turpin, Sarah Tonin and Gem, Hannah Chamberlain, Gwen Boyko, Peter Allen, Steve Stacey, Walsall Mencap Group, Mel Herdon, Ethel Lote, Edna, Big George, Brewer Street Adult Education Centre Walsall, Anne and Bill, University of Exeter Drama Department, Jon Primrose, Chris Mearing, Emmy Astbury, Paul Ford and the Walsall Local History Centre, Wellcome Library, Steve at BFI, Gail at Angel Hair Exeter, Andy Edwards, Richard Brazier, Flinn Brazier, Sabina Netherclift, Nikki Friend, Lindy Turner, Sarah Loukes, Sue, Catherine and Lucy, Richard Fletcher, Martyn & Bernie Friend, Rosie Gwilliam, John Edmunds, Lynn Wilson, Peter Coaché, Gavin Stride, Fiona Baxter & Fiona O'Mahoney at Caravan, Rebecca Ball and Uschi Gatwood at Arts Council South East, Andy Hackman, Bobby Lonergan, Richard Ferriera-Hayes, Jonny Storm, Jos Houben, Geoff and Trey, Ed Brazier, Laura Cameron Lewis, Kirrie McNab and Jennifer Williams, James Seabright, Kelly, Rhona and Rasha. END

(c) Matthew Rose 2009

reviewed Thursday 29 October 2009 / Wickham Theatre, Bristol, UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

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