To The Letter, Oran Mor Glasgow Review
Written by Kathryn for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
To The Letter is a new collaboratively written production by Canonical Theatre, showcasing the talents of exciting new grassroots voices in Scotland.
The story follows estranged sisters Morgan (Anna Coupé) and Jesse (Rachel Gilmour) who find an abandoned post box at the side of the road after their car has broken down. With nothing else to do, and trying to avoid talking about their own relationship, the sisters start exploring the forgotten stories held within the letters, taking them on a heart-warming journey of discovery, and forcing them to discuss the things that are holding their relationship back.
Each letter is brought to life around the sisters by a fantastic ensemble (Rohanne Woods, Megan Joy-Hillis, Paul Coletta, Magnus Kelly, Kristupas Liubinas, Cara Brown), and the audience are immersed in the stories and memories contained within them.
The production is not only collaborative in its writing, with each letter composed by a different writer, but through direction as the staging was devised through improvisation and experimentation by the actors.
The cast is also supported by Lorna Calder and Jacqueline Jay Wilde as Viv and Annie Ward, the subjects of some of the forgotten letters. But I won’t tell you too much about them, you’ll need to see the play for yourself!
The production suffered from a few sound issues to start but it was quickly resolved and in such a small venue you didn’t really lose much anyway. The play really makes you think about what you would do in a similar situation. Would you, like Jesse, be desperate to read the letters and see what you can do to help their subjects, or like Morgan do you think it’s better to leave things well alone? I loved hearing the contents of the letters and imagining what that person’s life was like. It felt very intimate to be hearing someone’s private words read aloud.
Although only six letters were chosen for the play, many more were written, and you can buy a booklet for £5 containing all the works developed through the writing process.
To The Letter is a heart-warming play exploring the themes of curiosity, friendship, and sisterhood. Overall I enjoyed the production but felt parts of Act 2 were a bit slow moving. I think it just loses the sense of excitement we get from opening each new letter in the second half, and although it follows one story more closely it just drops the pace a bit too much.
To The Letter is playing at Oran Mor in Glasgow on Sunday 3 March.
☆ ☆ ☆.5
