Photo by Ger Blanche
Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Until: Saturday 7 April
Performance Reviewed: Friday 6 April
Rating: * * *
Forgotten is an 80-minute one-act solo show written and performed by Irishman Pat Kinevane and produced by Fishamble.
Bronzed and loincloth clad, with large Japanese tattoos adorning his body,
Kinevane plays four characters aged between 80 and 100, living in Irish retirement homes.
There is opinionated, foul-mouthed Flor, who very much dislikes losing his privacy in the care home, with not “a skitter o’ dignity left”. Dora, a rich widow who enjoyed the company of men, even other people’s husbands and those beneath her in society. Now she sings along to Lady GaGa and dislikes being spoken down to by the care home staff. Wistful Gustus, who spends the whole time talking about his daughter and Eucharia, obsessed with her appearance no matter her age.
The transition between each character is through Japanese Kabuki dance, poetic and graceful, to music composed by Brian Byrne.
Each character has a different tone and depth to their voice, with Gustus being portrayed by Kinevane with his back to the audience and a mask on the back of his head.
Forgotten is touching at times, laugh out loud at others but the format is generally rather baffling. Whatever made Kinevane use Kabuki to tell an Irish story, I don’t know.
Nevertheless, however strange you may find the format of the show, it cannot be denied that Kinevane is captivating and the production innovative.
There is great audience interaction with Kinevane referring to some members by name and using the whole theatre space, climbing stairs, moving through rows and clambering over seats.
Forgotten is thought-provoking, encouraging you to think more of the elderly in your society, it makes you realise these people don’t lose their characters as they age.
It is worth seeing if it comes to a venue near you, if only to see how Irish storytelling and Kabuki dance combine to tell this story.
