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Ruthless People: Ruthless - Arches Lane Theatre

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What is it about the Madoff’s that writers can’t resist writing about? Sure, it may have been the largest Ponzi scheme to collapse (so far), but there isn’t much more to explore. Or is there? In Ruthless by writer Roger Steinmann, Ruth Madoff is imagined as a wronged, gun-toting woman anchored in the past while trying to move on with her life. It’s not entirely successful but a fascinating look at life and wig choices, It’s currently playing at the theatre now known as the Arches Lane Theatre in Battersea. Ruth Madoff, played by Emily Swain, is here wearing a wig. I thought it was an odd look until I reviewed how closely it matched the photo of her interview in  The New York Times .  Typically, it’s the sort of wig you might see worn by Ladies on a night out in central London, not someone who once had over $80m in assets. With Bernie in Jail and both her sons now dead - one by suicide and one due to cancer, she is setting a table for the men who have left her. And ordering p...

Alone in this world: Jericho’s Rose @thehopetheatre

A loss of identity and being between two worlds lies at the heart of Jericho’s Rose. It’s Lilac Yosiphon’s account of a theatre maker who is trying to stay in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile her grandfather is in Tel Aviv suffering from Alzheimer’s. It’s currently playing at The Hope Theatre.

The last time I was at The Hope Theatre it was to catch the excellent Cockamamy, about an absent-minded Spam-hoarding grandmother. This time around it’s about a grandfather trying to remember who he was. It’s as if the venue is becoming the Dementia Theatre.

But this tale is also more abstract. Live music by Sam Elwin, sound loops and evocative projections weave a tale of confusion and isolation. Music, movement and background projections by Will Monk underscore the unsettling environment. For both grandfather and granddaughter. Both are struggling to find a place in the world. Both are in a state of flux.

This is a minimalist piece. Part of it’s intent is to repeat in trying to remember the past and the present. Memory plays tricks on both of them. And there is the mundane details both have to endure. For Jasmine, it’s having to follow the excruciating details to reapply for a visa for leave to remain in the UK. For her grandfather it’s trying to remember who he is and who she is. But repetition can be exhausting. For both the characters and the audience.

The reasons why Jasmine wants to remain in the United Kingdom to make theatre aren’t clear. Afterall she has to endure an awful lot of stress (and causal sex) to get there. Perhaps the Tel Aviv theatre scene is just really lousy.

But when things being to come together for both characters in the final minutes the piece soars. This is a fascinating meditation about wanting to be somewhere called home.

Directed by Lilac Yosiphon, Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster and Mike Cole, Jerhicho’s Rose is at the Hope Theatre until November 3.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Photos by Lidia Crisafulli

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