Circle Mirror Transformation – Gate Theatre – Review

CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION by Annie Baker
Approx. 2hr 15 minutes including INTERVAL

Circle Mirror Transformation tells the story of five individuals in the small town of Shirley, Vermont. Marty (Niamh Cusack), teaches an unusual ‘creative drama’ class. Her students in the class include her husband James (Risteárd Cooper) and three strangers; Theresa (Imogen Doel), Lauren (Hazel Doupe) and Schultz (Marty Rea). It is clear from the offset that Marty does not believe in traditional teaching methods. Instead, we see her alternative approach to the art form, as she takes the class on a journey of self-discovery over the six weeks of the course in something closer to group therapy!

The play was written by Annie Baker and first staged Off-Broadway in 2009. Baker won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for her play The Flick. Circle Mirror Transformation is one of four plays she based in the fictional town of Shirley, Vermont. Baker recently made her film directorial debut with the release of Janet Planet, which screened at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival and will be released in the United States next month.

The Gate Theatre has been reimagined for this production, with the stage running down the middle of the space and seating on either side. The staging brings the audience closer to the action, creating a sense of immediacy to the production. It also brings back fond memories of some of the Gate’s productions such as Gatsby and a quite special version of A Christmas Carol.

The play is focused on the characters. You slowly learn more about the individuals during the production, as the walls break down after their initial awkward introductions. Some of the devices used are none too subtle as we see them play games, exercises and role plays giving insights into the characters and their childhoods.

A character-based play such as this is highly dependent on the quality of the cast and they do an impressive job. Niamh Cusack plays the hippie teacher Marty with wide-eyed honesty, as she tries to get her students to be in the moment. Her husband James, played by Risteárd Cooper, is the most elusive of the group and the slowest to open up. Theresa played by Imogen Doel is a doe-eyed, bubbly actor who still bears the scars of her previous relationships. Hazel Doupe gets many of the biggest laughs as Lauren, an ambitious 16-year-old student who wants to make a career in acting. Schultz played by Marty Rea is a man recovering from a failed marriage and struggling to deal with his loneliness.

As a production for the summer months, this ticks all the boxes. While issues such as child abuse, race and marital infidelity are present, they never dominate.  It’s a light-hearted production with plenty of laughs. The characters are well-developed and you feel you know each of them when you leave the theatre. It would be hard not to warm to this collection of disparate souls. While never particularly hard-hitting, this is a stylish evocation of small-town American life and the foibles and eccentricities of those in it.

Cast
James – Risteárd Cooper
Marty – Niamh Cusack
Theresa – Imogen Doel
Lauren – Hazel Doupe
Schultz – Marty Rea

Creatives
Director – Róisín McBrinn
Set and Lighting Designer – Paul Keogan
Costume Designer  – Joan Bergin
Sound Designer – Sinéad Diskin
Choreography Advisor – Róisín Whelan

Crew
Production Manager –  Jim McConnell
Deputy Stage Manager – Donna Leonard
Assistant Stage Manager – Sarah Purcell
Assistant Stage Manager (The Lir) – Bianca Baguio
LX Programmer – Sarah Timmins
Production LX – Adrian Moylan, Maeubh Brennan
LX Crew – Niamh O’Farrel Tyler
LX Operator – Matt McGowan
Set Construction- TPS
Production Carpenter – Ian Thompson