Gifted triumphs in unexpected areas but leaves Naima Khan a little baffled.
Gifted by Peter Billingham sets out to explore the effects of our intensely technology-mediated world on interpersonal relationships by exploring isolation and family dynamics. It follows A grade student, eighteen year-old Fran, as she navigates intense friendships, her tenuous relationship with her parents and exam revision. She soon befriends an older homeless man, Norman. By talking to her about weighty issues, his past and the ways of the world, Norman is able to fill a void, providing her with the meaningful connection she craves.
The play is interspersed with poetry and a strong, engaging element of spoken word. Bilingham has effectively made a feature of his characters’ expressive natures through their idiosyncratic language, and contrast them with Fran’s communicatively stunted parents.
The play triumphs in unexpected areas but fails to make much of the part that technology plays in Fran’s loneliness. Though we get the impression she is heavily engaged in social networking, this is only occasionally mentioned and with little acknowledgement of the consequences of overexposure online. However, Adrian Francis and Kitty Martin provide a moving portrayal of the dynamic between an overbearing husband and a meek wife, and the cost paid by their child. Francis embodies a calmly-spoken villainous father figure, disconnected and intimidating. Martin's well-meaning mother figure is full of warmth but at times weaker than her own child. The family dynamic makes an important point about a perpetual generation-gap. It carries much more of the drama and is far more emotive than the relationship between Fran and Norman.
Though Billingham clearly has an ear for language, and under Chris Loveless' direction, the script takes centre stage on a sparse set to great effect, the unlikely bond between a young girl and a homeless man is not dealt with as delicately as you might expect. The poetic language and pace take focus, thereby making the encounters between Fran and Norman engaging and impressive but they never really add to the story-line. Sadly, when the ending comes it feels rushed and at odds with what we've learnt about the characters. If it's meant to throw the audience it succeeds, but it ultimately leaves us disappointed.
Gifted runs at White Bear Theatre Club until 6th May
Photo Credit: Michael Brydon
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