Play Review

I watched “Wednesday - Scenes for Survival” on YouTube on April the second. The
play revolves around the events surrounding a summer quarantine day in an Actor and
his playwright wife’s house. The play was filmed in someone’s backyard in Glasgow
during the quarantine period last summer.

The story opens with an actor husband rehearsing a play his wife wrote for him. The
audience has no clue that he’s rehearsing at this point and is surprised to find out that
the tragic lines that he’s speaking are parts from a play that depict a dying man’s
speeches to his wife. We can see the actor’s face light up as he realizes that the dying
man he’s supposed to be playing is actually his wife’s fantasy about him during covid
lockdowns. An argument suddenly ensues, and we get introduced to the issues covid
has brought to the couple’s relationship.

Although we don’t get to hear their characters’ names, the play was played by Douglas
Henshall and Morven Christie. I liked how naturally Douglas switched between his two
characters. The bit where he paused and pretended to read the script paper was
especially good because it let the audience catch up with the plot smoothly. Morven, on
the other hand, was particularly good at displaying her emotions. Her anger didn’t feel
too light or too much.

Douglas’ mannerisms changed when he went from playing an actor to playing a

husband. We can tell he’s playing a different character even though his appearance
remains the same. His tone, facial expressions and body language completely change,
and the audience can tell that he’s playing a different character without listening to the
couple’s conversation.
Morven’s acting was more subdued but still as effective as was Douglas’. Her clothing,
body language and tattoo also help create the artistic playwright character she’s trying
to portray.

Overall, both actors absolutely nailed their roles and responded naturally throughout
the play. However, some parts, like when Morven compliments Douglas’ acting skills
and he responds well to the compliment, felt a bit too rushed. Nonetheless, these bits
didn’t take much from the quality of the overall play considering that the director had
to fit a lot of story into a short time frame.

In terms of design, the play looks like it was set in someone’s backyard. The costumes
were simple given the fact that the story narrates a day-to-day phenomenon. Both
actors are wearing clothes that they seem they would wear daily. I first noticed the
lighting when Douglas flips through his script. A bright white light was used to give
the impression that the paper’s reflection shone on his face. All this design aspects
worked smoothly and were integral in telling the main story of the play.

I like simplistic designs and love the fact that both actors looked like they hadn’t done
much to change their regular looks. The scenery is also simple with unnecessary objects
removed to let the audience enjoy the story more thoroughly. I felt that these small
details made the play relatable and delightful to watch.

The play also speaks a lot about how covid has taken its toll on personal relationships.
The story shows how confinement can create friction for even the most trivial reasons.
The couple’s fight mainly seems to come from the stress Covid had wreaked on
everyone this past summer.

The play is entertaining due to its relevance to our current situation. Someone watching
this in 10 years might not be able enjoy the topic because they can’t relate to the
problems Morven mentioned in one of the scenes. I was laughing when she mentioned
her husband’s compulsive habit of checking the number of deaths and cases because I
had been doing that same thing last summer. The play’s humoristic and sad bits also
allowed me to enjoy a range of human emotions.

I would rate this a 3.98 out of 4 and recommend it to watch for everyone affected by
Covid. I would particularly recommend it to other students due to its modern themes
and its relevance to our current situation. The play also taught me that theater can be
simple and enjoyable. It taught me that we don’t need a big budget and sophisticated
design to create something people would enjoy watching.