Believe (FringeTIX)
Linda Marlowe @ Holden Street Theatres (The Studio)
8:00pm, Sun 24 Feb 2008
After the frustrating disappointment of Berkoff’s Women, I was hoping that the script for Believe would be more suited to Marlowe – offer her the opportunity to own the stage, to slow her down. Of course, subsequently learning that this piece is a series of four character monologues made me feel uneasy – I thought the whole see-how-many-characters-you-can-cram-onstage thing happened in 2000, yet both Marlowe’s shows share this approach… *sigh*.
There’s some commonality between the characters on display, though; all four women are subject to the abuse of men, and all four women garner strength against their oppression through faith, the eponymous belief.
Marlowe’s dressed all in black, with the exception of a red bra, which is exposed for the first character – a common whore who, trapped in a war-torn city, chooses to hide two servants of God within her home, risking her own life in the process. The second, an adulterous army widow, talks frankly – and fracturedly – with her dead husband and child about her trials at the hand of the Other Man… and other women. Then comes the flamenco-driven assassin, stamping her way to her target, seething with vengeance. Finally, a mother of seven stands by her faith as she watches the execution of her sons, proud and horrified.
In terms of quality, Believe is an ascension; the initial character made me hark back to Marlowe’s previous show, and the widow was only casually interesting. The assassin, on the other hand, was a cracking effort – all restrained passion and flame. The final act, though, had the audience silenced – a fantastic impact, wonderful control.
Apparently, all the characters on offer were inspired by the Old Testament; this Finborough Theatre page can tell you more about that. But was it worth the trip out to Holden Street? Mmmmmaybe – the uneven quality of the characters hardly makes it a standout show, but at least the performance ended on a high.