29 March – 18 May
In recent years, Cirencester’s Barn Theatre has forged a successful reputation for producing original, imaginative, but perhaps less mainstream, shows, exploring what CEO and Artistic Director Iwan Lewis terms “less charted territories” in their theatrical journey. It is perhaps no surprise then that Nick Payne’s highly-acclaimed, Olivier Award-winning show is the Barn’s latest offering: it is a clever and thought-provoking exploration of relationships interwoven with scientific and philosophical theories, a complex cosmic conundrum which will stay with you long after this extraordinary production comes to an end.
At its heart, “Constellations” is a simple love story involving beekeeper Roland and cosmologist Marianne, but this is a far from conventional romance tale. Marianne’s study of quantum physics embraces theories of a multiverse, where all our possible lives and choices are played out simultaneously in a limitless number of parallel universes, where stars align in an infinite number of constellations. As Payne himself puts it “…in the quantum multiverse, every choice, every decision you’ve ever and never made exists in an unimaginably vast ensemble of parallel universes”. His clever, non-linear layering of these different possible universes allows us to simultaneously explore and revisit several different incarnations of Roland and Marianne’s relationship(s), their ups and their downs, their joys and their heartbreaks, their laughter and their tears. The result is compelling viewing.
Under the superb direction of Jessica Daniels, all of the potential pitfalls and confusions of exploring such similar, overlapping narratives are successfully avoided. Faye Brookes and Tom Lorcan, of “Coronation Street” fame, excel in this mesmerising one-act two-hander in which neither character leaves the stage during a gripping, unbroken 70-minute performance, switching seamlessly and convincingly between subtly different iterations of their respective characters. It is multi-dimensional acting for a multi-dimensional story in which a challenging script is delivered flawlessly by the two leads, but does so without allowing the audience any pause for thought or any let-up in the dramatic tension. Comfort stops are out of the question.
Brookes and Lorcan are assisted by some superb design: the set is simple but extremely effective, with black bands above and below the stage lending the production an almost cinematic, widescreen quality. Stark lines and right angles, together with harsh, monochromatic lighting provide little comfort for certain, more poignant and emotionally-charged scenes, yet light and shadow are also cleverly employed to soften the mood for more tender, intimate moments. Hidden corners and rooms hint at other, unseen universes, whereas the transitions between different dimensions, whilst potentially problematic from a technical viewpoint, are effectively conveyed through a simple sound effect and lighting change, as well as by the sheer range of the actors’ skills, meaning we can ghost effortlessly through the sliding doors of different worlds. Scenes are sometimes replayed, but with the characters’ positions reversed, whereas a lone, angled mirror propped against one wall offers each audience member a different reflection. The replaying of one particular, familiar scene is done in complete silence, with the dialogue performed in British Sign Language before a mesmerised audience – these are very clever touches for a play which toys with our understanding of narrative perspective.
“Constellations” is a bittersweet tale which explores timeless themes of life, love and loss, but does so in highly original, imaginative and thought-provoking ways.
★★★★★ Tony Clarke 9 April 2024
Photo credit: Alex Tabrizi
