The Fall from Coracle Theatre is delivered in collaboration with Applecart Arts, who are supporting emerging artists through their Dazed New World festival.
Written and performed by Sarita Plowman and directed by Alex Howarth, The Fall is a comic yet poignant retelling of a child’s memorable trip to church which results in a life changing realisation. What starts out as a simple and amusing scenario becomes a startling life lesson. We follow the story of a Sunday morning fall from grace that turns out to be a discovery of freedom.
In many ways, The Fall is much more than just entertainment. Not only does it highlight the qualities of carefree expression and persistent curiosity that children possess, but encourages us to embrace and maintain those qualities as adults. Especially in the restrictive world we’re currently living in, it might be easy to forget these values.
Sarita Plowman’s unwavering energy is remarkable, and maintained right from the moment she bounds onto the stage. Her wonderful ability to effortlessly switch between childlike and more mature characterisations keeps the performance moving swiftly and enables her to keep the audience hooked. In particular, the embodied mannerisms and facial expressions of a young child sneaking biscuits in church are amusingly accurate.
The simple setting and lighting are delicately incorporated to enhance the moments of poignancy that are interspersed with the comedy. The lighting darkens to reflect the moments of contemplation, and brightens to highlight the realisation of freedom.
Altogether, The Fall successfully combines comedy, poignancy and theology into a fast paced, 30 minute package of theatre. The exploration of inherited shame and how to overcome it is an intriguing concept, and one for us all to consider. It’s one thing to make an audience an audience laugh out loud but another to make them think at the same time; The Fall does just that.
Full details of The Dazed New World Festival can be found here
