The Reservation

The Reservation, Presented at The Wrens Hotel, New Briggate, reviewed by Katie Beswick (@ElfinKate)

Grief – that heavy load we carry, bearing the weight of the echo of what we have lost. It’s the dollar price we pay for loving; for allowing the edge of our souls to brush up against the edge of someone else’s. It’s intense, consuming; the essence, I suppose, of what it means to be human. And, if I’m totally honest, not what I’d usually choose to think about in any depth on a wet Wednesday night. Still, I’m usually up for anything (well, anything theatrical), and so I found myself checking into the booking desk at The Wrens Hotel, photo of a lost loved one in hand, more than a little bit sceptical but ready, nonetheless, to engage with my sadness.

The Reservation is a performance installation designed to be experienced by one audience member at a time. Devised by Ellie Harrison and Jaye Kearney, it’s part of Ellie’s ‘Grief Series’ ; the second in a series of seven projects which form a response to the seven stage Grief Model popular in contemporary psychology, and familiar to me because a similar model is loosely referenced in the classic 90s teen movie Clueless*.

Because of the relationship between the audience, the performers and the theatrical space, The Reservation falls into the category of ‘immersive theatre’ (which, regular readers may recall, I have previously expressed a fondness for). The one-to-one nature of the performance means that it’s very gentle; I have to admit this isn’t always the case in immersive performance, and I was somewhat worried that I’d be asked to share the darkness of my heart with a stranger – but luckily, no. The experience is more carefully considered than that, and exceeded my expectations by perfectly judging the balance between exploration and emotional revelation, without feeling intrusive.

 I don’t want to spoil the performance by describing exactly what happens. Part of the magic is discovering the experience for yourself. What I will say is that it felt like one of those memorable nights you share talking life and love with a friend; one of those nights where you give over a fragment of your tarry heart, and receive a piece of theirs in return. I’ll also tell you that my eyes cried tears, which is to be expected, not only because of the subject matter of the piece, but also because I am unable to watch so much as an episode of Eastenders without weeping.

It’s a special experience, an hour of time devoted just to you; a space to breathe and reflect on the things you hold dear. As the performance drew to a close I felt that I had moved towards understanding the layers of love and pain that make up the journey of my life. The darkness of my heart stayed private, but I was permitted the self indulgence to just reflect on being sad. Strangely, it was rather uplifting.

Also, there was port.

The Reservation plays on 31st October, and 1, 7 & 8th November. Performances are for one person at a time and take place hourly from 3-10pm, at The Wrens Hotel, Leeds. Details and booking information can be found here.

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