The notion of ‘darkness’ differs culturally, the westernised view one of evil, fear and the unknown. A facet that we tend to brush aside and reserve for particular parts of the year, this seldom is focused on. Delving into her own ancestry and exploring the potent impact of generational trauma as well as the power of the spiritual realm, writer and performer Julene Robinson delivers a resonant hour of theatre, theatre as a form of healing.
Forming The Other Palace‘s Vault Festival 2022 Transfer Season, The Night Woman begins as it concludes – a spiritual sound meditation rooting us back to the beginnings of time, reference to the stars, planets and our universe a reminder of what came before us and our interdependence with the world around us. Birth an integral feature of the production, Robinson’s lineage one repetitively born into circumstances of sorrow and pain, bonds worn during the show’s initial stages a physical and metaphorical representation of Robinson’s arduous past, one impacted by slavery, the bonds restricting her on stage. Darkness and shadow lyrically explored throughout, something we’re forced to confront, making the afternoon a therapeutic one.
The confrontation of darkness a facet of healing that Robinson bravely puts out there. Songs inspired by Robinson’s West African and Caribbean heritage soulful, uplifting, means of telling stories, means of connecting to a higher energy. The Night Woman is an apt production during Women’s History Month, a celebration of womanhood and the trials and tribulations withstood, a commentary on how our pasts shape who we are now – a thought provoking experience.
Review written by Lucy Basaba.
The Night Woman was shown from Friday 11th until Sunday 13th March 2022 at The Other Palace as part of their Vault Festival 2022 Trasnfer Season. To find out more about the production, visit here…
Four our interview with writer and performer Julene Robinson, visit here…
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