Bouge-de-la, Under Glass

Review in Issue 8-4 | Winter 1996

Under Glass was the story of a woman who lives alone in an attic. She gets ready for work every morning and returns in the evening. Her routine never waivers. In her room she has everything she needs including her dreams pinned upon the wall – pictures and postcards of Switzerland. The everyday repetition is broken when a writer moves in nearby. His typing and reading aloud in Swiss German attract her attention. A friendship is clumsily struck up. Thus begins the battle between reality and fantasy. Dreams of what she would like to happen and what is actually taking place become increasingly blurred. The elaborate set, designed and constructed by the company, is a room in an attic. Complete with sloping roof and skylight there is everything to remind one of cheap bedsits; awful carpets and unmatching furniture. The use of the set produces surprises, especially in the dream sequences, and gave a superb quality to the show. Lighting was also effective with the sun or moonlight shining through the skylight to represent time passing. Repetition is well utilised in action, music and lighting – allowing a magical atmosphere to be created and images inside and outside the central protagonist's mind to be developed. Lucy O'Rorke gave a superb and strong performance. Aurelian Koch provided good support. Directed by Andrew Dawson, Under Glass is a marvellous piece of magical and touching theatre.

Presenting Artists
Presenting Venue

This article in the magazine

TT 8-4
Issue 8-4
p. 20