The House Behind the Lines
Review
“Lest we forget”
“we will remember them”
A poignant piece of theatre, that was timely in its presentation. Whilst we will never forget the soldiers who have fallen as a result of the many wars we have seen in our lifetimes, the focus is for the majority on the men, but what about the women?
Whilst this piece is not explicitly about women in war, it certainly is about their own battles at a time in history when all were forced knowingly or unknowingly into situations that were hugely out of their comfort zones. This for the women was no different.
I always love visiting the Hub (Underground Ballroom) in Holbeck. The ambience of the studio theatre is indescribable. It is unique in its entirety. Highlights even before you watch the latest innovative piece of theatre include the golden telephone box, the range of vintage seats, the red wine that is poured into mugs and the memory box where visitors can write any memory they choose and leave it in one of the jars for others to share in.
As you walk into the theatre area, you have approx. 60 seats, each with its own blanket that you can wrap up in, because it does get quite chilly. That combined with the musty smell, all add to the ‘vibe’ of this hidden gem. I have yet to have a bad experience at this place.
It really feels like the mission of the venue is to show new, experimental theatre, encouraging a range of audience members, especially with it’s ‘pay as you feel’ policy which is also a wonderful addition. I have always felt the need to pay an amount that recognises high quality work and this performance was no exception.
Directed by Ruth Carney, devised by Buglight theatre and written by Lydia Rain this was a unique story, which focused on how women were ‘used’ as sex workers in World War One. The play followed three women’s stories, Madame the brothel owner, Paulette a fantasist and Chantel the wife and mother of a man injured in the war.
Their stories of loss, love and betrayal, even from their other so called friends, were engaging and endearing at times. The live singing really added a different feel to the performance, the vocal harmonies making their stories even more haunting. This was beautifully sad and endeared these untold stories to us even more.
Given the themes and the brothel setting, it would have been easy to pitch this in a seedy, cringeworthy manner which would have lost the effect, but this pioneering company, writer and director somehow managed to make these dark often taboo topics seem almost classy. The direction was subtle and the acting was strong, and although personally I was holding out for the demise of the Madame, all of the elements combined worked, and in turn created a distinctive performance which left me with a lot to think about.
It was great to see the untold stories of the women coming to the forefront of theatre. Stories that could have been lost in a sea of cumbersome techniques were instead communicated in a mature manner. It as always was a great experience at the Hub, witnessing yet another fresh piece of storytelling and now we will remember them…not just the men but the women too.
