A heart-shattering piece of personal theatre. But does it go beyond this?
Picture this. It’s the last Pan-Am flight to Detroit from Frankfurt. Annie Lareau watches on as her friends plunge to disaster in the Scottish countryside. Annie must deal with her pain, and in this true story, she explores her grief and humanises the figures lost under the headlines in graphic detail. In an autobiographical style, Annie forensically examines the joy of life before the crash and her connection to her now-lost family members, the gaping hole left after this incident. Microscopically detailed, this piece looks to cover every memory surviving, encouraging memories to live on.
I was wracked with amazement and inspiration, sitting in Pleasance Court watching Fuselage. Annie is a hero. Lareau explains the story with such emotional integrity and powerful storytelling, which mean that the piece is highly emotional and hard-hitting for the audience. The piece is held back by the other two actors, who impede her work. They are given little chance to shine, and thus the show would better thrive as a one-person show. The multi-roling becomes relentless and unproductive. The storytelling was of a high standard, though it lacked vibrancy or freshness.
From a directorial perspective, the production is lacking. The movement sometimes lacks inventiveness and the dream sequences throughout the story become contrived and appear basic. More movement is necessary in this production to pair with the arresting storyline involved. Similarly, the set with suspended chairs hung from the ceiling could be utilised more often, with actors only crowding behind the pillars of grey plastic chairs late in the play. A striking image at first, these chairs could be utilised more often during the piece. Moments of direct address are welcome additions and support the storyline perfectly, the use of microphones giving a tangible sense of the crash, though generally production quality and ingenuity is limited.
That is not to say that this piece didn’t have a fully gripping, emotive plot line, which left the audience with a visceral experience. While moments were clunky and odd, and unnecessarily detailed, the story told is an essential one. Most importantly, this story began conversations and sparked thoughts – the writer and protagonist, Annie, offering hugs at the end of the show for audience members and welcoming discussions about people who have lived through similar experiences of the Pan-Am crash. Intrinsically linked is the build-up to the journey and previous heartbreaking crashes, which accumulate to produce the final crash and the heartbreaking aftermath. It is well woven as a story, but often is oddly emphasised and strangely focused in places.
It is a tale which blinds the audience with emotional wonder though fails to execute on style or quality of drama.
