March 19, 2007
Making stunning use of video effects, The Garden explores the effects of battle ground trauma and the healing powers of nature in a story that spans generations. Jay returns from Bosnia mentally scarred by what he has experienced. He heads for Cornwall to take stock of the effects left by his recently deceased great uncle, Hugh. He discovers that Hugh suffered a breakdown during the Great War and convalesced at Heligan, site of The Lost Gardens and now very much a tourist attraction.
The parallels between Jay and Hugh are beautifully presented by Jonathan Young in a one man show of great thought. He tells the stories of the two men through a variety of characters and situations – a guide at The Lost Gardens; Hugh’s former sweetheart; Hugh himself at various stages of his life. The most poignant of all is the clearly damaged Jay, the modern shellshock victim whose barely concealed anger at the Bosnian situation threatens to surface at the slightest provocation. Hugh finds some salvation in training as a psychiatrist and seeking to practise in a humanitarian way. Jay’s epiphany, in the toilets at Paddington station, leads him to visit the Lost Gardens and find himself.
Perfectly complementing Jonathan Young’s splendidly sustained performance is the use of video clips (designed by Oogoo Maia), lighting (Katharine Williams) and sound (Patrick McGinley and Gareth Fry). The combination of these design elements successfully transported the audience to Cornwall, a variety of hospitals and the Somme. The clips took us from airport to train to cottage in a splendid opening sequence that clearly established Jay’s frustration and anger.
It is obvious why this piece was short listed for a Total Theatre Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 2006 – acute writing, superb design and accomplished performance all serve to create a fantastic piece of theatre.
The parallels between Jay and Hugh are beautifully presented by Jonathan Young in a one man show of great thought. He tells the stories of the two men through a variety of characters and situations – a guide at The Lost Gardens; Hugh’s former sweetheart; Hugh himself at various stages of his life. The most poignant of all is the clearly damaged Jay, the modern shellshock victim whose barely concealed anger at the Bosnian situation threatens to surface at the slightest provocation. Hugh finds some salvation in training as a psychiatrist and seeking to practise in a humanitarian way. Jay’s epiphany, in the toilets at Paddington station, leads him to visit the Lost Gardens and find himself.
Perfectly complementing Jonathan Young’s splendidly sustained performance is the use of video clips (designed by Oogoo Maia), lighting (Katharine Williams) and sound (Patrick McGinley and Gareth Fry). The combination of these design elements successfully transported the audience to Cornwall, a variety of hospitals and the Somme. The clips took us from airport to train to cottage in a splendid opening sequence that clearly established Jay’s frustration and anger.
It is obvious why this piece was short listed for a Total Theatre Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 2006 – acute writing, superb design and accomplished performance all serve to create a fantastic piece of theatre.