Lovesong (Oberon Modern Plays)

Product Information

Her television work includes My Fragile Heart, Murder, Sex Traffic, Tsunami – The Aftermath, White Girl, Royal Wedding, Birdsong, The Hour, River and The Split. Throughout the performance I thought of Maggie and William as a unit, and so when Maggie died it felt as though William was left at a loose end and appeared vulnerable without Maggie; the sorrowful atmosphere could’ve easily accounted for the death of both characters. I say ‘watched’ but frankly I could only gaze at the play through tearful eyes; it is deeply moving without being in the least sentimental, achingly sad without being morbid.

Projecting the image reminded the audience of this conversation, and added to the sense of loss and grief that both William and the audience felt when Maggie died. Another way in which Maggie and Margaret connected their characters was through the use of Brechtian-style gesture; both often pursed their lips to show displeasure. Soft music was used on a number of occasions in the background of scenes with fluid movements between the younger couple, and enhanced the intimate atmosphere.Despite maintaining their individual personality traits, the relationship of the couple seemed to change in many ways as they grew older. Using these furnishings for entrances and exits gave the impression of all their memories together being tucked away. Often when both couples appeared in the same scene together, the young couple were lit in a soft, warm coloured lighting whilst the old couple were often left in darkness.

As they enter the final week of her life, the house becomes full with memories of their marriage and their desperation to conceive a child. One way in which this was achieved was by the repetition of William saying ‘blue’ each time Maggie swallowed a blue pill. The magic realism of the story is also enhanced by occasional balletic movements well delivered by the older couple Phillips who was pushing 80 when the play was filmed is an astonishing dancer.is as tender as the bruised peaches that fall to the ground in the garden of the elderly couple's US home. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Maggie’s death was choreographed very simply, and yet managed to create an extremely sorrowful atmosphere.