Plymouth Theatre Review

Easy to Follow: 4

Family Friendly: 4

Must see: 4

Title: ‘Ten Months and a Day’

Venue: Barbican Theatre

Date: 24th July 2024

In a compelling double-bill, the audience at The Barbican Theatre experienced two thought-provoking performances from Masters students of experimental theatre practice of Marjon University: ‘Ten Months and a Day‘ and ‘Conflict of Interest.‘ Each performance offered unique perspectives, techniques and styles, leaving the enthusiastic audience with much to ponder.

Performed by Gracy Marie Bartlett, ‘Ten Months and a Day‘ is an intimate exploration of grief and memory. This three-part performance uses a mix of film and live performance with minimal props, creating a fascinating relationship between the compelling film projected across the entirety of the rear of the stage with the live actor playing the central figure in the film, reflecting the film’s themes and actions with her movement and dialogue on the stage. 

The play begins with a relatively brief introduction, setting a meditative tone and defining the event that led to her period of grief. Bartlett made the surprising choice to read the monologue from a piece of paper, only occasionally looking up at the audience during this part of the performance.

The protagonist’s journey through the grieving process is illustrated with a series of symbolic actions and imagery, such as submerging in water and flashing back and forth between being curled up in bed and dancing.  While the use of mostly literal imagery like this spelled the messages out very clearly and without much mystery, it also helped keep the show more accessible to the audience, who clearly appreciated it.  Setting it firmly in this shared moment, Bartlett repeatedly uses a brief clip in the film comprised of a weeping selfie taken with a stylish filter, however much of the performance felt relatively raw and unfiltered, offering an unfiltered window into the character’s internal struggles.

One of the most striking aspects of ‘Ten Months and a Day’ is the live use of photographs and symbolic personal memorabilia on stage. The protagonist trims photos in tandem with her on-screen persona and later creates a cocoon (fortress?) around herself from the memories represented by the images and train tickets. The live performance, mirroring and articulating what is shown and described on screen, enhanced the performance with a layer of depth and immediacy. Seeing Bartlett act out scenes, both literally and figuratively while wearing a mask, bridges the gap between film and theatre, making the experience more tangible and engaging.

Technically, the sound mix made use of popular music to add emotional context, but the balance occasionally made the voiceovers difficult to hear, and while more creative lighting could have added even more texture to the performance, its simplicity didn’t detract from the overall impact.

The half-hour performance concluded with a mix of an American talk show clip of Andrew Garfield talking about his experience of grief and finally a historical video of the artist with their departed loved one. The first clip was tonally jarring, given the aesthetic of the overall performance, though in combination with the home video at the end, brought a personal and universal closure to Bartlett’s entertaining and relatable meditation on grief.

The evening’s performances, though different in style and substance, complemented each other well. ‘Ten Months and a Day’ offered a deeply personal look at grief and memory, while ‘Conflict of Interest‘ provided a less focused, more varied exploration of life’s many conflicts. Both pieces showcased the performers’ talents and left the audience with much to reflect on.

Overall, it was a night of engaging theatre that balanced introspection with entertainment. While there were areas for improvement, the performances’ emotional resonance and thematic depth made for a memorable and enjoyable experience.

review by Bart Gamber

*Gifted / This theatre review was written following a gifted ticket to the performance. However, all opinions and views expressed in this review are entirely that of the reviewer and the review has not been influenced in any way by the provision of the ticket. Our commitment remains to provide an honest and unbiased assessment of the experience.