Produced by Corn Exchange, Freefall is a stunning piece of ensemble theatre. Structured as a series of flashbacks, the play evokes the aftermath of a stroke suffered by its central character, Gerry. The fragmented form of Michael West’s play echoes the confusion of its protagonist’s mind, as he pads silently, clad in pyjamas, through the bare theatre.
Kris Stone’s meta-theatrical design - a blank-slate floor marked with blocking tape; a pair of opaque plastic curtains - sets Freefall in a space which is at times transformed into an operating theatre, as surgeons struggle to save Gerry’s life. For the most part, however, the stage world is, indeed, a literal theatre in which Gerry watches himself, his family and friends perform key scenes from his life.
In a surreal sub-plot to this visionary re-visitation of a dying man, West probes underneath the stairs in Gerry’s bathroom, to find dry-rot eating away at the very fabric of his domestic happiness.
While the metaphorical resonance with the state of Irish society is clear, it’s not overstated and Freefall does not aspire to be a state-of the nation play. But in the flashbacks to the past - all factories closing and economic woes - West elicits a subtle parallel with contemporary life.
Annie Ryan’s sophisticated direction maintains the self-referential nature of the metaphysical themes. So too do the actors, who, shape-shifting through different roles and time periods, manage to be both fluidly playful as well as emotionally engaging.
This theatre company’s grounding in the intensely physical style of commedia dell’arte is seen implicitly in Louis Lovett and Damien Kearney’s unique physical embodiments of their different characters. Ruth McGill, meanwhile, uses her astonishing eyes to communicate a wide range including hysteria and despair.
In the lead roles of Gerry and his wife, Andrew Bennett and Janet Moran provide a deeply human core to the unfolding story of ruined love and grief and dying.
The shared experience of the ensemble in a variety of other Corn Exchange productions is evident in the shared language of performance which is communicated easily with the audience.
If Conor Linehan’s beautiful evocative cinematic score threatens to tip the balance into melodrama, the visible creation of live sound effects at the side of the stage ensures the audience remains emotionally objective.
This is crucial. Early diagnosis, as Gerry learns too late, is vital for avoiding tragedy.
