Mayday Mayday is an exciting blend of comedy, tragedy and hope. The solo performer, Tristan Sturrock fell from a wall in the early hours of 1 May 2004 paralysing his body and fracturing his neck vertebrae. He recovered through a high risk operation and a considerable amount of physical therapy. His story is portrayed in this short 1 hour production which uses macabre comedy and poignant metaphors to provide the audience with an insight into Sturrock’s recovery and feelings following the accident.
The set uses colourful ribbons and atypical folk music to create the atmosphere of May Day in Padstow. There is also however a model of a skull and a skeleton on the stage, perhaps as a constant reminder of the fragility of life. The skull is used again to demonstrate Sturrock’s head on the gurney when he was airlifted to Plymouth Hospital following the accident. Perhaps more disturbingly, Sturrock uses the small model of the skeleton at the end of the play to illustrate the child he has since had with his girlfriend, Katy. Death, it seems, is never now far from his mind following the accident.
I enjoyed many aspects of the production; it combined comedy and seriousness in an impressive manner, showing considerable dexterity. The pun in the title Mayday being both the 1st of May and a cry for help is particularly cleverly expressed in the scene where Sturrock lies following his accident waiting for someone to rescue him.
Mayday Mayday leaves its audience in a thoughtful frame of mind: considering fate, luck and the nature of accidents. It is perhaps too easy in life to become complacent about the path one is following until one is taken or knocked from that path into another, more frightening reality. The production confronts the anxiety and desperation felt by Sturrock in the aftermath of the accident but is inherently optimistic; he has demonstrably made an incredible recovery. We are still left however with a lingering concern in the back of our minds; what if next time, it were I who fell off the wall? An interesting and enjoyable production.