Post by joem on Jan 26, 2020 23:30:26 GMT
Currently on at the Finborough is this leftfield work by playwright Athena Stevens.
Statement of fact, not to appear condescending but has to be got out of the way because it relates directly to the play's subject-matter: Athena was born with athetoid cerebral palsy (ACP) and this is, obviously, a major hurdle to be overcome in carving out a career in the theatre but she seems to be managing.
The play is a two-hander with Athena Stevens playing the eponymous Scrounger, a woman suffering from ACP and Leigh Quinn doing a great job of supporting her in various roles - from her boyfriend to her agent to her best female friend. Based on real-life incidents which the author lived through when British Airways ejected her from a flight at City Airport because they couldn't fit the wheelchair in the hold, then proceeded to break the custom-made wheelchair leaving her housebound for months and refusing to replace her chair, this is an uncomfortable watch for those who prefer not to think of the problems people with physical disabilities or conditions have just to lead a normal life.
Done as a mock-adventure story with Scrounger (the name comes from trolls' insults on the net when Athena's story was publicised) as the heroine, the actor's mobility issues do not make this in any way a static piece. At times funny, at times shocking and always thought-provoking, this has to be judged a successful piece of drama without any qualifications whatsoever.
Statement of fact, not to appear condescending but has to be got out of the way because it relates directly to the play's subject-matter: Athena was born with athetoid cerebral palsy (ACP) and this is, obviously, a major hurdle to be overcome in carving out a career in the theatre but she seems to be managing.
The play is a two-hander with Athena Stevens playing the eponymous Scrounger, a woman suffering from ACP and Leigh Quinn doing a great job of supporting her in various roles - from her boyfriend to her agent to her best female friend. Based on real-life incidents which the author lived through when British Airways ejected her from a flight at City Airport because they couldn't fit the wheelchair in the hold, then proceeded to break the custom-made wheelchair leaving her housebound for months and refusing to replace her chair, this is an uncomfortable watch for those who prefer not to think of the problems people with physical disabilities or conditions have just to lead a normal life.
Done as a mock-adventure story with Scrounger (the name comes from trolls' insults on the net when Athena's story was publicised) as the heroine, the actor's mobility issues do not make this in any way a static piece. At times funny, at times shocking and always thought-provoking, this has to be judged a successful piece of drama without any qualifications whatsoever.