“The Memory Of Water” by Shelagh Stephenson
Nottingham Playhouse

Three estranged sisters arrive at their childhood home on the eve of their mother’s funeral. They are not as close as they once were and argue and joke as they sort through their mother’s belongings and they gradually discuss the realities of their own adult lives.

But when they move on to childhood memories, it’s then that they discover they remember things differently, leading to a series of dramatic and devastating revelations, all watched over by the ghost of the mother they are preparing to say goodbye to..

Theresa, owner of an alternative therapy business, is angry that she was left to care for their dying mother. Mary, a doctor, is still struggling with a deep loss from her past. Catherine seeks attention through a succession of short-term partners.

For me, I found this play to be one of those "marmite" plays and I was half and half. There were some lovely comic lines in the script but there were also times that seem to drag for me. Now whether this is due to reflect those awkward silences within the estranged siblings I'm not sure but I just felt that i was waiting for the next line, the next action, especially in the first half of the play.

Directed by Adele Thomas, she did deliver, along with her cast, three very different characters in the sisters. The pain of losing their Mother and the relationships they all had with their Mother was an interesting contrast.

One scene that really stood out for me was when they were sorting out Vi's clothes form the wardrobe and all three sisters were almost like children again as they chose outfits from their Mother's wardrobe to wear. It was if they were reverting back to being little girls raiding their Mother's dressing up wardrobe.

Set Design was by Laura Hopkins and again I found myself asking several questions. I couldn't see the point in the revolving stage, especially as it was quite noisy when it revolved.

I did get the idea of the highly reflective floor and ceiling, well I think I did, it being there to represent the reflection of water,as with a lake. Well that was what I thought the reason for the reflective surfaces. It certainly wasn't the sort of room that a cottage

would have normally. I also wasn't 100% sure of the reality of the draped walls with no hard portals of entry and exit. Nothing major just a couple of queries I found running through my mind throughout.

What i did love though was the colour and the pastels in the decoration of the room, it showed that this room was a very feminine room, and also drove home the overall feminine feel of the story, relationships and focus of the story.

Sound by Elena Pena, and here again, most of it I loved, especially trying to spot the music behind the effects added to the music. The sound effects were well utilised.

Lighting Design by Amy Mae created that very feminine feel of the play.

Juliet Cowan (Teresa) is one of the family members that is always left to arrange everything, or at least that is how she feels.

Beth Cordingly (Mary) the externally tough one of the family who we discover has a soft underbelly. All three sisters have some great lines and Mary is the sarcastic one of the sisters. Mary has a big secret which we discover later in the play and we see the vulnerable side of her character.

Jasmine Jones (Catherine), has to be my favourite of the sisters.She is like a firework always ready to explode into an exhibition of colour. She is brash, says what she means with no filters, and I love her dress sense, especially those boots! Like Mary, she wears this armour but when she feels pain, you experience it with her.

Katy Stephens (Vi) is the deceased Mother and appears a few times throughout the play to talk to Mary, or are we just seeing the image that Mary is conjuring up for us. You can see where her daughters get their attitude, style and character from with Vi.

Stewart Wright (Frank) is Theresa's over-worked husband. He comes across as grumpy but you can understand why he is like this as his back story is revealed.

Nicholas Bailey (Mike) is Mary's married lover, who at the start seems to be obsessed with sex, especially in the dead Mother's bed. He seems to expect this, which might come with the territory of his job; he is both a GP and a TV doctor.

It's an interesting play for many reasons, none more so than being about female relationships.The relationship between the three sisters, individually and together, as well as the separate relationships that the sisters had with their Mother. The secrets that are unearthed whenever a gathering for grief and support is formed, as well as the greed for possession.

It's a funny (ha ha, not peculiar) play but there are also many scenes that will leave you, as an outsider to this family, feeling a little useless and awkward, which I am hoping is the way that Stephenson had wanted us to feel.

“The Memory Of Water” is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 18 May