To Break A Man, Pavilion Theatre, Brighton, Jan 28 (From The Argus)

To Break A Man, Pavilion Theatre, Brighton, Jan 28

2:27pm Friday 30th January 2009 in Search By Duncan Hall

Choice and chance – the two factors that determine the courses of our lives – were at the centre of this debut one-woman show by new company Tarry Theatre.

Jade Blue played Flora, a young woman waiting eagerly for her father’s first visit in two years, but with a definite feeling that something important was about to happen to her.

Chance was integral to the structure of the show. Flora rolled dice to determine which major plot points to drip-feed into the story and asked the audience to cut giant playing cards to decide on the order we met the five most important people in her life.

As a performer Jade captured all five of her main characters brilliantly, using minimal props and exaggerated movements to give an essence of their character.

Particularly impressive was a board game between Flora and her father, with the simple device of how she lay on her front defining who we were looking at.

The physical movements and music used to underline Flora’s own internal conflicts did feel a little intrusive though, and detracted from what was actually being said.

But it was a great introduction to a new local talent, with a cliffhanger ending based on a difficult decision that left everyone talking as they left the theatre.