Founded in 2007 Papatango Theatre Company is renowned for championing unique talent and giving new writing, and up and coming playwrights; an opportunity that very often is the start of a prominent career. Directed by Alice Hamilton, Matt Grinter’s ORCA, the winner of this year’s competition; is playing at Southwark Playhouse until the 26th of November.Maggie (Rona Morison) and her younger sister Fan (Carla Langley) live on an island, an island that is far removed, both geographically and mentally from the mainland. Every year the whole village gathers together to honour tradition and re-enact an old folk tale in which a young woman, referred to as The Daughter, sacrifices herself in order to save the villagers from starvation. It is Fan’s dream to be chosen by the community leader The Father (Aden Gillett) to play the role of The Daughter, a role that was in the past given to Maggie. Yet despite Fan’s enthusiasm Maggie is determined to stop her sister from sailingout to sea.
Overall everyone in the cast deserves praise for truthful and well-rounded performances but it is the two sisters who shine the brightest. Both Carla Langley and Rona Morison are compelling and their relationship is a believable one. Langley gives a lot of natural innocence and hypnotizing naivety to Fan whilst Morison’s physicality and use of language make Maggie a layered and fascinating character.
Beautifully designed by Frankie Bradshaw the set, a wooden jetty covered with moss and surrounded by sand and sea shells, adds a lot to the production and not only visually. The smell of the wood and the sea transforms us to another world.
Yet despite its great performances and enthralling story Grinter’s first full production lacks in depth and is too obvious in the nature of its storytelling. Whilst it does touch upon really important and urgent subjects, subjects of sexual abuse it doesn’t dig deep enough and makes one crave more.
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