Otherland, Almeida Theatre Review
Written by Cathie for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Trigger warnings: This production includes discussions of infertility and themes of transphobia. It also includes flashing lights, sudden loud noises and haze.
Despite the whole of Mrs World and her husband Mr Society’s contributions to the conversation, there is no one way to be a woman. Femininity is bold, beautiful and cannot be contained in only one presentation. Director Anne Yee and writer Chris Bush explore the topic of womanhood with nuance and sensitivity through the initially married couple of Hari and Jo. Hari (short for Harriet) comes to enjoy their womanhood “the long way round” as they are initially Henry, a male biologist and married to Jo.
Jo (Jade Anouka) and Hari (Fizz Sinclair) originally start the play on a high note as we see them get married and declare their eternal love for one another. This swiftly changes into splitting their accoutrements in a split centred over Hari’s decision to come out as transgender and begin the transition process. Fizz is the centre upon which the story spins and carries the role with strength and quiet dignity. She is magnetic to watch and the nuanced portrayal of Hari’s journey is fantastic to watch. Anouka is a veritable firecracker on stage, filled with energy, passion and determined spirit to find her own way forward in the aftermath of the split until she finds the love of her life futurist Gabby (Amanda Wilkin).
The first half of the play is firmly grounded in reality, seeing how Hari and Jo deal with the change in circumstances and muddle their way through the best they can. Many questionable decisions are made and difficult conversations had but it’s painfully relatable no matter what your background. The tone is mostly positive but lays the groundwork work for the second half by showcasing themes of infertility, career difficulties and sexual harassment. This play is far from being a bed of roses for any involved as we see Hari go through some truly painful scenes of transphobia including her career, daily life and from her own family with her well meaning but painfully tone deaf mother (Jackie Clune). Clune was fantastic in creating a vividly relatable character we all encounter in our lives without crossing the boundaries into despicable. Jo goes wild in attending dance raves and travelling to Peru, only to end up carrying a child she did not initially want in the face of a loved one’s unexpected infertility.
The second half of this play dives into the well of metaphor quite literally with a Petri dish/ womb well on the rounded stage (Fly Davis). Jo becomes a literal baby oven in pregnancy and struggles to connect with her emotions and partner Gabby in the face of all her bodily changes. Hari is the little mermaid, dragged out of fishing nets and poked by scientists before being banished into caves as women deliberate whether she should be allowed to be part of the collective women’s experience. Flashes of real life and echoes of past discussions break through the metaphor to showcase what is hidden. Although slightly clunky in parts this metaphor works well to explore the inner worlds and thoughts of the two main characters as the first half reflects their outer worlds. The play ends on an uncertain note as of necessity where we see Hari and Jo meet for coffee and reflect on how far they have both come. While ambiguously open-ended, we see worlds of possibility and joy open up before the main characters. The resounding overall feeling is that of positivity supporting women in all forms everywhere. This play definitely cements Chris Bush as one of the great playwrights to watch.
The final key piece is the phenomenal supporting cast. The chorus of Danielle Fiamanya, Laura Hanna, Beth Hinton-Lever work triple time to present the dizzying range of characters that Jo and Hari as well as singing beautifully catchy micro melodies to capture the exact emotional resonance of the scene unfolding before the audience. The entire cast is absolutely phenomenal, truly giving 110% and working seamlessly together to form part of a greater experience. The atmosphere of the auditorium is unlike anything I ever experienced in its sheer joy and sense of community. I was impressed by this play’s balance of positivity and energy without falling into sugar coating reality or hiding the difficulties faced by the trans community.
This play is a beautiful expression of compassion, sensitivity and bold celebration of womanhood in ways it’s sadly not often triumphed in modern media. If you enjoy vividly written prose that feels universal in its themes yet also treats the deeply vulnerable and emotive issues raised with dignity and strength, if you like beautiful siren melodies and an outstanding cast or watching a show that you will be talking about for years to come, then run to see Otherlands as fast as you can.
At Almeida Theatre until 15 March 2025
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
