Ivory Wings

Aug 23 2019 | By More

★★★★☆    A soaring success

Young Critics Scheme review
Assembly Rooms (Venue 20): Thurs 1 July – Sat 24 Aug 2019
Review by Suzanne O’Brien

Ivory wings at the Assembly Rooms is a beautifully written and performed new one woman show by Susie Coreth, which explores Alzheimer’s and the effect music can have on memory.

The play follows Virginia, an elderly women with Alzheimer’s. Throughout the play, Virginia drifts between her current state and her 28 year old self when she was in the Air Transport Auxiliary during WWII.

Susie Coreth. Pic Ivory Wings

The piece is accompanied by a soothing live piano score performed by Anna Coreth, which triggers Virginia’s memories and takes her back to flying Spitfires and Hurricanes. It is clear throughout even when she is not in her younger state that flying is still at the forefront of her mind as she repeats a landing checklist over and over.

She is desperate for music to be played so she can be transported into the memories of her past emphasizing the pure passion she had for flying.

strong and empowered

Susie Coreth creates two very believable versions of the same character as she switches between her elderly and younger selves. She morphs between them, changing her entire physicality and voice tone, giving an accurate representation of a woman living with Alzheimer’s and a young women who is strong and empowered.

Coreth also successfully creates the illusion of a spitfire, ducking under imaginary wings and creating a cockpit in the same seat her elder self sits in. Her performance is wonderfully engaging and it really feels like you are flying with her.

It is performed in an apt space which has a similar look to an aircraft hanger – although on a very small scale – it does fit well with the piece.

Directed by Jo Rush, Ivory Wings is a piece that can make you laugh and cry. It shows the sad truth of the disease as well as celebrating the women of the Air Transport Auxiliary and the incredible work they did, defying stereotypes.

Running time: One hour
Assembly Rooms (Front Room), 54 George Street, EH2 2LR (Venue 20)
Thursday 1 – Saturday 24 August 2019
Daily (not 12, 19): 11.50am
Tickets and details: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/ivory-wings

Twitter: @IvoryWingsPlay

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