A Dark Line Upstairs at Barons Court Theatre Review
Written by Becky for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
What is it like to pack up and say goodbye forever? Matilde Vigna explores the themes of flight and loss in her one woman show, ‘A Dark Line Upstairs’. Intertwining a story of a young woman in 2021 moving countless times, with the disastrous flood in rural Italy in 1951, Vigna’s sixty-minute production successfully portrays from different perspectives what it’s like to pack up and leave everything behind, yet lacks an overall narrative.
Vigna juxtaposes two accounts of moving away; one in modern day, who describes living out of boxes and always on the move, and the other who is forced to flee from an unprecedented flood. Switching seamlessly between accounts, she movingly contrasts the emotions of leaving belongings behind. Her modern day character describes the lack of needing many possessions, being able to pack her whole life into one suitcase. This is immediately compared to the 1951 account, in which her character describes clinging onto the rooftops of their built lives in Italy. Vigna ties up the two narratives well, exploring the similarities of saying ‘goodbye forever’, whether from a natural disaster or the common metaphorical flood that forces people out of their homes every day.
Vigna’s performance had a good rhythm to it. From the quick and logistical feel of 2021 to the abstract and poetic narrative of the 1951 floods, there was great light and shade to the performance. However, there is a lack of character development for both stories, which ultimately fails to build a connection with the audience or create a sense of jeopardy.
Despite Vigna’s successful efforts in tension building, the absence of each character’s background and what they are leaving behind left unanswered questions that would be better answered to help build sympathy. For example, Vigna explains moving back to her parents in 2021 due to failure, but never goes into detail about why she has been forced into this position. Likewise, she sometimes invites the audience to participate or relate to her, however doesn’t encourage the audience enough to receive a vocal reaction. Further development would perhaps bridge the gap between the audience and her stories.
The basement space of Baron’s Court Theatre was a great choice for A Dark Line Upstairs. The dark, enclosed space, mixed with stagnant fog and strong block colour lighting (Alice Colla), created a tensely intimate space and some very effective imagery. A Dark Line Upstairs is on until 12th July, but if you can’t make that, I would recommend visiting Baron’s Court Theatre as a wonderful local space for fringe theatre.
★★★
