one4review | On 04, Aug 2016

The play is staged in a very small venue (with a welcome air conditioning unit) which brings an added sense of intimacy to this work written in 1997 by Charlotte Jones.
Dora (Tanya Chainey) and Persephone (Alison Nicol) are inmates in a hospital for the criminally insane. As the drama moves backwards and forwards in time we gradually learn that Dora and Persephone’s ‘crimes’ are tragically minor in terms of present day standards. When their life stories unfold we realise see what can happen to the sanity of two young women, unforgivably institutionalised for 50 years, as they disappear into alter egos to avoid the horror of their existence in the hospital. The transition from dreaming of escape to the terror of facing life outside the institute draws these two disparate characters together. Despite the obvious heartbreak of the play there are some real flashes of humour and if you like Doris Day you are in for a treat.
The shift in time period isn’t always clear but I think it does add to the sense of confusion regarding the identities of the girls. Both actresses give assured performances and did bring a tear to the eye of this reviewer.
***
Reviewed by Rona
Sweet Grassmarket 3 15.55 Aug 4-14th