Theatre / Reviews
Review: Take Care, Alma Tavern and Theatre – ‘A bold, beautiful and brilliant play’
Bristol company Late Shift Theatre open their first production with a warming, heartfelt exploration of the messy yet hearty staff room of a care home for adults with learning difficulties.
In Edie Doherty’s Take Care, we encounter the day-to-day lives of these individuals across generations, religions, sexualities and nationalities who are lovingly tied by their compassion to help others; the play explores the bonds formed by this melting pot of selfless carers who “against all odds”, are “a makeshift family”.
Within this one act piece, they are faced with a wide range of challenges, apexed by a terrorist incident at a local shopping centre which stirs up a range of reflections and emotions in these relatable and genuine characters.
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I cannot begin to talk about this production before I address how blown away I was by the bond between this six-person ensemble. What truly sells the performance is the genuine connection between these actors, keeping the audience hooked into the casual nature of the play’s admittedly gentle pace.
Notable praise must be given to the bold directorial choice to keep the entire show contained to the single, unchanging setting of a staff room, giving rise to exchanges that underscore their mutual desire for friendship and connection in times of need.
Natural conversation, eye contact and proxemics are handled with the ease of a close-knit family, allowing us to sink into the depths of this play’s complexities as we slowly learn these characters’ quirks and backstories. Judging by the audience laughter, cheers and heartfelt exclamations throughout, they were entirely absorbed in the veracity of this bond between colleagues.
The story centres around the dynamics between the staff on a single New Year’s Day, with a comfortingly simple display of how they interrelate in the opening sequence: the daily “good mornings” of a 9-5 job are humorously authentic – and very relatable – signifiers of the relationship between coworkers.
The cast’s acting is easy to watch, and laced with comic misunderstandings, smartly-written quips and endlessly charismatic scenes, although some tug slightly on the more melodramatic side which can dilute the darker struggles that are peppered into their exchanges.
Many plays are characterised by one pivotal moment, usually prior to an interval. In contrast, what makes this production shine are its several, gentle cruxes to the narrative. There is a moment of high tension, when the details of a recent local terrorist attack are announced on the radio, prompting many of the care workers to re-evaluate their past experiences or future plans. Despite its weight, and its distance from the plot’s primary themes of friendship, family and loneliness, this topic is sensitively handled.
Other series themes, from COVID-19 to sex discrimination, bereavement, PTSD and being a child carer – are touched on only slightly, diminishing the opportunity to explore their relative impact within the characters’ lives. Nevertheless, the balance between light and shade is expertly played.
In conclusion, Take Care is a beautiful and impressive production. It brilliantly realises six quirky characters who handle whatever life throws at them with compassion and humour, exploring the balance between selflessness and personal growth as they calmly set resolutions for the year ahead.
It strikes me that as we grow closer to annual family gatherings ourselves, it is also the ideal play to discuss emotions that can be stirred up by winter holidays.
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Take Care is at the Alma Tavern and Theatre on October 20-21 (at 6.30pm Monday and 8pm Tuesday). Tickets are available at www.tickettailor.com.
All photos: Late Shift Theatre
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