Review: The Moon The Moon

Apr 24 2009 by Tamzin Lewis, The Journal

portrait: the moon the moon

The Moon The Moon, Unlimited Theatre Company, Northern Stage, until tomorrow

WE all know the moon is a big lump of rock, but in ancient myths from across the world she was a graceful and influential female goddess.

Taking its cue from the Greek goddess Artemis and Roman equivalent Diana, who were constantly interfering in human affairs, Unlimited’s Moon (Helen Cassidy) is a living, breathing goddess, very much taken with a troubled Man (Jon Spooner).

Locked in grief, the suicidal Man is rescued from a watery grave by the seemingly sympathetic Older Man (Tim Chipping), who becomes fascinated by the tormented state of mind of his “new responsibility”.

In classic Stephen King style, Tim turns out to be anything but kindly and Man finds himself facing his demons chained up in a dark cellar.

Poetically written and beautifully performed, this is a polished new play from Unlimited, featuring an impressively versatile set and effective soundtrack, complete with haunting Moon songs.

Unlimited have developed a wonderful style of overlaying scripts, and The Moon The Moon features three-way conversations, with the Moon as an invisible character. One scene of aggression from Tim’s friend, played by Suzanne Ahmet, is repeated with and without the Moon present; a technique which could possibly have been developed further.

This is The Moon The Moon’s second appearance at Northern Stage. It appeared a year ago as a publicly rehearsed reading directed by the theatre’s chief executive Erica Whyman.

Redeveloped since then, it has become a brilliant piece of work from this highly original company.

There are darkly comic moments in this fantastical, complex and enigmatic play, but expect an intelligent portrayal of the trauma of grief, our different realities and what can be our dismal inability to empathise with other people’s darkest moments.