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The Glow

 


When: 10th February 2022 (Matinee)

Where: The Royal Court theatre - Jerwood Downstairs

Writer: Alistair McDowall

Director: Vicky Featherstone


Going into this play I had very little idea what to expect I had briefly read a few reviews but from what I could tell there were mixed opinions on it, with the Times describing it as a contender for worst play of the year but the guardian giving it 4 stars. Personally I really enjoyed it, it was nothing new storywise, but something that is not often explored on stage, making it feel different. The first half although very short, introduced us to the character of The Woman. It also led me to believe the story would go in a different direction than it did, which made the second half more intriguing. 

One of the things I loved most about this play was how it felt as if the writer (Alistair McDowall) had written about what he wanted to, not feeling confined by rules of what can and can't be shown on stage. Despite this, it still felt as though the play had a place in society today and had a message. There was not particularly a clear moral of the story, but I think it makes the audience think about life. It shows how people will be nice to you if you are nice in return, how relationships form, and also how meaningless life can be. The main character went through the story trying to figure out who she is, but the conclusion was that she didn't really have a set purpose, she just existed and I think thats a really truthful message for people. Saying this the ending still felt complete and satisfying to the audience, the final monologue although perhaps a little too long was a nice way to end. 

The set design and lighting in this production was really interesting, it was so simple and yet so effective. The use of moving walls and tunnel was intriguing and created a strong setting in quite a minimalist way. However I would have liked it to have been used more effectively throughout, they sat on top at one moment, but mostly it was just used as an entrance and exit. The use of projection to present settings and easily tell the time period we were watching was simple and yet worked. 

The story was a little confusing at moments jumping around, but compelling in its own right, and the directing was done really well. Overall I enjoyed this play, it was not one of those that I would rave about to others, but it definitely doesn't deserve the title of Worst Play of the Year.

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