one4review | On 06, Aug 2024

This performance begins with reference to ‘Gone with the Wind’ and an insight into the author, Margaret Mitchell who was born in the year 1900 in Atlanta Georgia, but what’s the connection to Grace?

Grace’s grandad Tommy was serving in Japan in the 1960’s when he met a Japanese woman Akiko and began a relationship. Grace provides an interesting insight into life back then, peoples attitudes towards racism are also addressed. Tommy marries Akiko and brings her over to the USA where they eventually settle in Atlanta and give birth to Grace’s mum Margaret Mitchell (No relation to the author), hence the reference to Gone with the wind.

The story unfolds at a fast pace and Grace goes into detail about her father Bruce and how he and her mother Margaret, got married and gave birth to Grace in 1992 but her parents later divorced when she was only 6. At his point you could be led to believe this is just a performance about a young girl growing up, but the story unexpectedly turns into an emotional rollercoaster. Grace alludes to being a custody child between mum and dad and opens up about a disturbing event in her past when living with her dad, his new partner Becky and her son to a previous relationship, Rett.

Grace later moves to the Bronx in New York with her boyfriend to find work and initially manages to get a job in Bloomingdales before accepting another job offer that keeps her very busy. Time passes by and she suddenly gets a phone call out the blue from Rett to say her dad had died!

The heartfelt raw emotion is there to see as Grace struggles to come to terms with her father’s passing. The story ends with an insight into the speech Grace gave at her father’s funeral.

Grace’s delivery was powerful, brave and full of emotion, a real-life biography that pulls you into Grace’s life with quirky humour along the way. Well worth seeing!

****
Reviewed by Steve
The Royal Scots Club – The Hepburn Suite
16.15 (1hr 15mins)
Until 24th Aug (not 11 or 18)