We round up the reviews for Martina Laird’s debut play.
Broadway World: “Driftwood might have had its RSC debut earlier this year, but this feels like a play at a somewhat earlier stage in its development. At its best, Laird’s writing is masterful in how it balances the personal with the political, and a new staging help make these themes reach their full potential.”
London Theatre.co.uk: “Laird is an excellent actor, but this piece needs a considerable amount of polishing before it can shine like its protagonists’ gemstone names. Nevertheless, the way in which the personal and political come together in the depiction of this particular moment in Caribbean history is intriguing, and further efforts could well reap greater rewards.”
The Reviews Hub: “Driftwood is a play for the actors, produced with them at the heart of things, and the chemistry and tension between Thomas, Heath and Imhangbe is undeniably riveting. The push and pull between American influence and the will for freedom from colonial shackles is smartly written and performed with electricity. Despite some rushed beats in its story, Driftwood is a clever family drama that’s worth watching for those three performances alone.”
The Live Review.co.uk: “Overall, Laird’s Driftwood, while certainly intense, would benefit from further editing in order to narrow down some of the plot lines that felt repetitive. Nevertheless, it is a decent debut with ample potential.”
The Arts Desk: “Martina Laird’s debut play is twisty, sexy and provocative.”
London Theatre 1: “The production itself is decent: I was particularly impressed with the smell of gunfire that followed a shot being fired (of course an American character in a show is going to have a gun!), and Simon Spencer’s lighting design does well to portray temperamental electricity supply into ALMA. The play’s descent into gloopy rambling in the closing scenes needs looking at: the gun and the knife that appear in those scenes should frankly be applied to the dialogue, which could do with some significant slashing.”
Theatre Weekly: “There is much to admire in Driftwood, not least its rich thematic ambition and a trio of standout performances. Laird’s exploration of personal and political liberation is both timely and resonant. However, the sheer volume of ideas competing for attention ultimately dilutes the play’s impact, making it harder for an audience to fully invest in its world and its characters.”
British Theatre Guide: “The piece seems not quite finished, the ending somewhat perfunctory, and director Justin Audibert may further finesse the play before it transfers to London. Yet, with moments of high tension and persuasive portrayal of thrustful personalities hitting against the walls of suppression, it suggests that Laird is assured of a successful career ahead as an actor turned dramatist.”
The Standard: “Audibert’s direction features flashes of intensity amid boggy passages, though the rhythm and snap of the language does much to carry it along. Designer Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey’s costumes are evocative, her set drab. A mixed bag, then, but I’ll be keen to see what Laird writes next.”
All That Dazzles: “Ellen Thomas is outstanding as Pearl. Her performance feels authentic, layered and completely believable. When her long-lost son returns searching for the mother who abandoned him as a baby, Pearl’s coldness is genuinely shocking. By the end of the first half, it is difficult to feel sympathy towards her. However, Thomas excels in the play’s most tragic moments. As Pearl finally opens up about the son she gave away, the audience is allowed a glimpse beneath her hard exterior. What emerges is a deeply complex and emotional woman wrestling with decades of guilt and regret. It is a powerhouse performance that is both fierce and heartbreaking.”
Time Out: “There is much that is promising in Driftwood, but the smouldering passions of Pearl, Ruby and Diamond are surely enough to have combusted by themselves – they don’t need petrol pouring on. And indeed, we could have done with a little more exploration of them as characters. Artificially bringing things to an explosive head via the smuggling story ultimately feels a bit cheap: either Laird has tried to pack in too much, or she didn”t have enough faith in her own core characters.”
To book tickets visit: https://kilntheatre.com/whats-on/driftwood/