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Jacob Easton discovers triumphant and punchy new writing from Beth Mullen and Lois Amber Toole during Live Theatre’s Unearthed Festival
Image: A Minor Theft
Captivating, endearing and at all times remarkable, Beth Mullen and Lois Amber Toole lit up Live Theatre with their respective solo performances as part of the venue’s Unearthed Festival.
First up, Beth Mullen’s A Minor Theft began with with the decidedly un-minor plot point of stealing a baby. What followed was a quiet triumph, an engrossing and characterful watch that unpeeled itself more and more, as the initial abduction of baby Clementine made way for a heartfelt exploration of grief.
Perfectly paced and weighted, Mullens’ performance was excellent, although this would have been amplified further if she was completely off book. Nevertheless, the trust and sense of ease felt within the audience was remarkable, and not by any means typical for solo works of theatre. She held the audience throughout, much like baby Clementine.
Building on this, Lois Amber Toole roared in as the Tik-Toking, party-going, but troubled Kit, an oyster bar waitress living in London, in her piece Post Traumatic Slay Disorder.
Punchy, funny and undoubtedly the Main Character, Toole has created something fantastic, a familiar yet wildly unpredictable young woman, facing sadly familiar fears and past-traumas for twenty somethings all around.
The playfulness and creativity of the piece was great in itself, but it always hinted at something darker, the Main Character persona felt compensatory for something. It all led to one of most well executed beat shifts I’ve ever seen on stage. It was jaw droppingly good, and gave everything that preceded it so much more significance and depth. It was sincerely moving, and like Beth Mullen’s work, made for a wonderful night of theatre.
