I first came across this play a few years back when studying Theater Studies at college, and have read it countless times over since then. The play constantly flits between different times and places in history over the last century, but the focus of the story is around the lives and relationships ... Read review
Advantages: Very clever, imaginative and moving text Disadvantages: quite dark and surreal in places
I first came across this play a few years back when studying Theater Studies at college, and have read it countless times over since then. The play constantly flits between different times and places in history over the last century, but the focus of the story is around the lives and relationships of four women, each one of a different generation of the same family.
Doris- Margret's Mother
Margaret-Jackie's Mother
Jackie-Rosie's ... ...teens and Margaret raised her as her own.) Rosie has no idea Jackie is her real mother.
Rosie- The youngest, jackies daughter.
The events that transpire through the three act play reflect themes of motherhood, the topic of time and how traditions are constantly being broken and remade as the new generations evolve through the years is at the forefront of the play, with subtle hints of thatchers Britain, Victorian Tradition, ... more
I first came across this play a few years back when studying Theater Studies at college, and have read it countless times over since then. The play constantly flits between different times and places in history over the last century, but the focus of the story is around the lives and relationships of four women, each one of a different generation of the same family. Doris- Margret's Mother Margaret-Jackie's Mother Jackie-Rosie's Mother ( Although she gave her up in her teens and Margaret raised her as her own.) Rosie has no idea Jackie is her real mother. Rosie- The youngest, jackies daughter.
The events that transpire through the three act play reflect themes of motherhood, the topic of time and how traditions are constantly being broken and remade as the new generations evolve through the years is at the forefront of the play, with subtle hints of thatchers Britain, Victorian Tradition, teenage pregnancy and divorce all making a profound statement of the altering position of women over the last one hundred years.
As well as the main plot running through the text, there are also rather surreal scenes inserted here and there, in which all our women exist in an undefined space, and are all co existing as children of similar same age, playing in a waste ground. These scenes are , at first a little odd to read, but in retrospect they work incredibly well as tools to give the audience insight into the adult characters and there true personalities. These scenes explore the themes of loyalty, men, sex and frienship between the characters and as the ages of the women are reversed in these scenes (ie Rosie is the oldest) - it can get quite confusing!!
I loved this play and there are some very moving moments in the text; as well as some very funny moments too! It is very cleverly written and Keatly seems to have a talent for creating palpable atmospheres simply with words. It is intense and shocking at times, but is also heart warmingly honest and observant to the human nature embedded in mothers and daughters around the world. I highly reccomend this play to anybody who enjoys nostalgia, as this film makes you feel as though you have stepped into a scrapbook of long forgotten memories...
techie_fairy 19.01.2009 (19.01.2009)
Ciao members have rated this review on average:
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Review of My Mother Said I Never Should - Charlotte Keatley
Advantages: Good characterisation, perfect for students. Disadvantages: Could start to become dated in a few years time.
I first saw _My Mother Says I Never Should_ performed as a play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe a few years back, and performed very well at that, so when I found a copy of this I thought it would be nice to read it as a script.
The story focuses on four women from different generations as they grow up. Leaping back and forth throughout time, we see how motherhood changes them, and how they make the same mistakes as each other as time goes on. ... ...reading it from the page flows well. However, it is easy to see that it is in performance that this particular play would be most successful. The interlinking scenes depicting all four women as young girls leave plenty of scope for a director, and each of the characters is individual enough to present a great vehicle to a talented actress. As a smaller, all female cast, this could be a perfect piece for AS/A Level students, and provide not just a ...
Zalx84 22.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of My Mother Said I Never Should - Charlotte Keatley
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