“Progress has not been as pronounced as expected”
The Portuguese take on The Big Idea was written by Sandra Pinheiro and responded
to by April de Angelis with snatches of verbatim interviews interspersed throughout,
and as seemed to be something of the model, ranged from the harrowing (from the
native playwright) to the surreal (from the Brit). Pinheiro’s story involved a
family who had taken the difficult decision to emigrate from Portugal in
pursuit of work and new beginnings, but having opted to make a staggered
departure – letting the husband go first to get settled – the enormity of their
choice makes the wife question what is most important.
For they have a child and she will be left with her grandma and though Dad has
put up with it for six months, Mum is now having a crisis of faith. Told mainly
via the medium of Skype, it formed an interesting look at how far people are
willing to go in order to make change happen but also how far they are willing
to let others go for them. The strain put on this marriage is unimaginably huge
and though one is left appalled, there’s an element of understanding about it
too.
De Angelis’ (initially) lighter piece centres on a music workshop, looking at
ways of addressing “issues” as leader Jessica describes them through the medium
of fado, traditional mournful Portuguese folk song. There’s a deal of easy
humour, poking fun at liberal arty types and processes, so when the darker turn
does come, it is something of a surprise and not one that really worked on any
level for me.
Labels: April De Angelis, Mariah Gale, Meera Syal, Nadia Clifford, Paul Chahidi, Robert Lonsdale, Sandra Pinheiro
