The Memory of Water - Chapel off Chapel

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Fri 17 Nov 2017 - Sun 26 Nov 2017

There is the water of childbirth, the tears of loss and the liquids we consume to cope in 3 Big Men Productions version of Shelagh' Stephenson's 'The Memory of Water' directed by Richard Sarell, performed at Chapel Off Chapel in Prahran,16-26 November 2017.



In this play, we meet three Irish sisters, Mary (Ana Mitsikas), Theresa (Carissa McAllen), and Catherine (Karla Hillam), who return to their mother's home after her death in preparation for the funeral. The action takes place in the mother's bedroom, which is a place of solace, revelry, dress-ups, secrets and revelations.



It's the middle of winter, there's snow, it's cold and depressing. Mary sleeps in her mother's bed and begins to process her grief. But her grief is not just the death of her mother Vi (Janet Watson Kruse) – Mary is holding on too many buried secrets.

From love affairs to adoption, the despair of rejection, only Jameson's whiskey can dissolve, this is a typical tale of daughters trying to come to terms with their relationship with their mother, and face their own fears and vulnerabilities. When a parent dies, there is a beginning for the new generation to step up and make a new path in history. There may be tears of regret, guilt, relief, or joy depending on the relationship between the parent and the child.



Theresa is married to Frank (Darren Mort) and has always taken care of Mum and responsibility for family matters. She is frustrated with Mary's lack of interest in organising their mother's funeral. Catherine is the typical younger sibling, in between temporary relationships, and turns up drunk and stoned.



Amongst the havoc, Mike (Soren Jensen) turns up to comfort Mary. He's married and sharing Vi's bed with Mary - posing a typical Irish Christian moral controversy. Mike and Mary have been in a relationship for five years and thinks she may be pregnant. She loves Mike and wants to be with him, and the relationship comes to a head, on the eve of the funeral, as is the typical curse of family reunions, weddings and funerals.

To add to the drama, Vi makes an appearance, returned from the dead, to provide her side of the story.



Death and funerals are not easy topics to address, however, Stephenson's dialogue and Sarrell's direction make this play easy to watch. There is farce among the grief, funny stories and memories, and the realisation–you can't blame your Mum for everything. Losing a parent is a big deal–it forces you to grow up, accept responsibility, to the choice carry on a legacy, or not. Each scene is accompanied by Cellist (Grace Gilkerson) which adds a really a beautiful soundscape to this family story.

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!date 17/11/2017 -- 26/11/2017
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