Driftwood Review – Kiln Theatre
AN INTENSE DRAMA BUT NEEDS SOME FURTHER EDITS
By Trisha Cusack ⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite
Martina Laird’s debut play Driftwood is a multi-layered drama that tries to be many things at once. On one hand it is a familial drama, exploring deep themes of belonging and maternal love. On the other, it is a political commentary on the dying days of colonialism in Trinidad in 1956, reflected in the tensions between the Black and white characters’ roles and actions.
The play is located entirely within ALMA, a gentlemen’s club in Port of Spain. Run by the tough Miss Pearl (Ellen Thomas), she and her daughter Ruby (Cat White) go about their lives rather differently. Pearl is the stereotypical, ever suffering and emotionally harsh mother who breaks her back to earn her living. Every day she must walk around town in painful shoes to collect money for her boss, English gentleman Mansion (Roger Ringrose). Ruby, however, makes do relying on her looks to swindle tourists. It is clear they do not have a good relationship, with Ruby’s “nastiness” directed most towards her mother.
Enter handsome stranger Diamond, who turns out not to be so much a stranger as Pearl’s son who she gave up decades earlier. He says he has come to find his mother and find his family, but is that all?
It is from here that the plot becomes unwieldy. We have Succession-style attempts at backstabbing with Diamond and Ruby’s shady dealings with US Marine, Tom, in order to “prove” to Mansion that they deserve to own ALMA when he leaves to return to England. Pearl still refuses to give Diamond the time of day or a reason why she gave him up. And in a rather rogue plotline, Ruby and Diamond begin an incestuous relationship despite knowingly being brother and sister, evoking some uncomfortable reactions from the audience, myself included.
As the show progresses over two and a half hours, plus an interval, you begin to wonder where this all is going and how it will end. Unsurprisingly, it does not end happily ever after for our dysfunctional family.
Muddled plot aside, the writing and dialogue is strong, with an interesting use of Trinidad Picong. The cast too delivers convincing performances, with Seldom’s character as the source of comedy being well timed and appreciated by the audience.
Overall, Laird’s Driftwood, while certainly intense, would benefit from further editing in order to narrow down some of the plot lines that felt repetitive. Nevertheless, it is a decent debut with ample potential.
Driftwood is running at Kiln Theatre until Saturday 4 July.
⭐⭐⭐
Photo Credit: Marc Brenner
2 Comments
JD
I thought it was overall ok with a tentative line to independence and freedom which was occuring at the time this is set.The terrible Trinidadian accents especially of the female lead, Ruby, were very distracting. Policeman had the best impression of the accent and was funny. Pearl was a great actress. Diamond’s Jamaican accent was easier to follow than Ruby whatever island she was trying to imitate. I liked that the writer used Trinidadian dialect liberally despite at times the cadence not delivered well. But it was anticlimactic as many Trinidadian plays with the inconclusive and overally dramatic ending. Also what was the purpose of the incest theme?? It didn’t really work or added value to the script.
Anonymous
Firstly, it was my first visit to the Kiln theatre, and I was not disappointed, the staff were welcoming and very helpful, with information about the theatre and the surrounding area. The theatre itself has a cozy, intimate feel which is lovely.
I went to see Driftwood, in London as I missed it in Stratford on Avon, I like to see black productions, and was looking forward to seeing Driftwood.
The play itself was good, it tryed to cover a lot of issues, which didn’t quite work,I think it would have worked better if they had done fewer issues more in depth. The policeman stole the play for me, he was funny and his accent was great.
I would like to thank everyone involved in bring this play to the theatre, please keep going we want more.