Review: Silent Cicada by Lorna McCoid, Playhouse, Liverpool

Silent Cicada by Lorna McCoid, Everyman & Playhouse, Liverpool

By Amory and Vikki Powell

Presented as part of the second year of the Young Everyman Playhouse’s talent development programme for directors, Silent Cicada was written and directed by a talent to watch, Lorna McCoid.

The plot is of a crime boss, Emily (Suzanne Fulton), who finds out that an assassin is coming to kill her whilst living it up in her Spanish villa. In her ensuing panic, chaos ensues, featuring her alter-ego/imaginary friend Sparkles (Holly Brooks) provided to challenge Emily. The sins of her past slowly catch up with her as she battles with ways to survive whilst dealing with age-old questions about death. Is today a good day to die?

The script itself was well written, with some witty lines included that brought out the comedy element of this otherwise dark play. The dialogue was natural and free flowing, even with Emily’s overdramatic reactions to the situation, characterised as such by her inner Sparkles. One moment, in which Emily consults God in front of Sparkles over the concept of death and morality, was particularly hilarious and superbly performed by Fulton.

For the audience, there was a slight bit of confusion when Sparkles took on the role of Olivia – Emily’s spurned lover that she had since ordered a hit on – and it felt as though this dynamic, which was never fully explored, could have done with more elaboration. there was more room for growth here, even as a subplot. In that sense, there was an element of Emily’s character development that felt a little undeveloped. Similarly, the reasons for Sparkles existence could have been developed further as well. But these are niggles and possible places for McCoid to develop later, overall the play was very well developed and thoroughly enjoyable.

The production was very well put together and creative in its endeavours to represent certain concepts to the audience. We particularly enjoyed the use of red sparkly streamers to represent when a character was shot. Equally, the lighting was first class and powerfully portrayed changes in mood, setting and characters. The only complaint was that the dance scene used to represent a fight scene, whilst a clever idea, ultimately felt as though it fell short of the rest of the production, as it didn’t seem as well executed. Again, a momentary blip in an otherwise excellent production.

Emily Horrex, who played the role of Valentina, the maid, which subsequently expanded into other roles, was a standout actress. She communicated brilliantly to the audience both verbally and non-verbally in subtle but clear ways in the lead up of what would prove to be her integral role in the plot. Ultimately, her presentation of a sarcastic receptionist, in a splendidly written scene, created an air of laughable frustration with which the audience clearly empathised, shared experiences of dealing with the red-tape of certain businesses.

As a talent development play, this production certainly came across as professional as many a production our team has seen over many years across the country. Lorna McCoid demonstrated exceptional skill and talent with the subject matter used. There’s a real potential here and we’re excited to see what she writes in the future.