Plymouth Theatre Review

Overall rating: 4.5

‘Windchimes’ written, performed and directed by CJ Smith is a sharp, well written and accomplished show that takes the audience on an emotional journey through the depths of grief and family dynamics. Smith immediately relaxed his audience with a confident opening, a confidence which was maintained throughout the entire performance. The poignant and touching narrative centres on a character grappling with the loss of his mother and is crafted with a depth and sensitivity that leaves a lasting impression on viewers

Essentially, the show is about the central character’s past, his relationship with his parents, his peers and himself. We witness his disappointment with his university course and the break down of his parents’ relationship – all voiced brilliantly through our actor, and one of the excellent qualities of this young man’s performance was that l was never in any doubt as to who was talking to whom, and when. His proficient storytelling was compelling and concise enough to denote the who’s where’s and when’s which is why it came as a surprise, therefore, when towards the end of the play his brother’s voice was projected through the speaker system – a slight inconsistency here, l felt.

The staging was fairly minimalistic in style, there is just a bed in the end-on space, along with the titular wind chimes. Far from being too minimalistic this was all that was needed to reel us in, in large part due to compelling story and excellent acting. The use of the windchimes was a clever device and we came to believe that they represented the spirit and presence of his mother. In fact, the whole soundscape of the production was extremely effective, ranging from the early, pre-show bird song, through to the effects of cars and other atmospheric additions. We were also invited into other spaces via the lighting which was subtly used to enable the characters to move from the protagonist’s bedroom to his parents’ garden, from his course tutor’s office to campus’ parties with ease. 

CJ’s performance, as l’ve already suggested, was excellent. His versatility shone through and his sense of comedic and dramatic timing was superb. Smith’s exceptional acting and writing takes the forefront in this show, displaying his adeptness at character portrayal and highlighting his ability to convey complex emotions and characters with ease, finesse, subtly and precision. Such an accomplished production deserves a wider audience and l would strongly recommend that CJ takes his skills to one of the many fringe festivals to showcase his work to a wider audience – this show has legs and needs to travel. I will be giving one caveat, however – l think that this is a performance which understands its audience but that isn’t a very wide audience. It was very well received by the (mostly) student audience at Plymouth University, and l liked it, but l’m not sure it’s appeal would stretch much further than younger spectators in it’s present form. 

Windchimes is an excellent production. One of the best comments l can make is that l never looked at my watch once and was pleasantly surprised when after a supposed forty minutes, l actually found that an hour had gone by in the blink of a eye. ‘Windchimes’ is a strong and powerful example of solo performance. Smith’s extraordinary talent as an actor, coupled with his detailed and authentic writing makes this show a standout performance of the festival. The authentic portrayal of grief and family dynamics, the minimalistic yet effective set and the multifaceted characters all contribute to making this show an  unforgettable theatrical experience.