Bitter Lemons is a punchy, riveting, energetic ball of feminine acknowledgement. In the pressurised worlds of football and finance, two women carve their own path. After the loss of her dad, a goalkeeper prepares for the league final, while an ambitious banker battles her fears of being tokenised to secure a promotion. But as their pitches get closer, worlds collide as life shifts unexpectedly and in parallel. How do you face your biggest challenge yet?
Winner of a Pleasance Edinburgh National Partnership Award and supported by Bristol Old Vic,Bitter Lemons is an explosive debut play tackling the pressures on women’s bodies and the power society holds over them.
Lucy Hayes has an extraordinary way of writing women, Bitter Lemons is not a commentary of opinions that surround the themes the play explores and rather a very powerful telling of two women’s stories. Today’s climate makes women’s ownership of their own bodies unfortunately a topic which seems to be up for debate in some places, this play challenges the audience to just listen to the impact that having the choice can make. Topics such as pregnancy and abortion can often be discussed without the slightest iota of the impact of even just making the decision can have on women’s lives. The writing is humorous, fast faced and rhythmic – almost poetic in its colourful descriptions. Lucy Hayes is one to watch.
Chanel Waddock is a fireball on stage, full of life and energy. Her physicality is more than convincing as a goal keeper embarking on a huge opportunity. Her emotional journey throughout has you gripped as her heightened physicality drives home the emotional vocal delivery of the text. Her vocal ability is also to be commended, although the venue is not huge, Waddock projects her voice with such clarity, the pace in which she delivers the text matches the life of the character she has created.
Shannon Hayes plays a more subdued character, the character has an air of class around her given what she has worked for and Haye’s posture ensures that we know the character has pride in herself and her ability – no matter what her history may be and her molding into her mother. Hayes’s delivery of the text is beautiful, when her character speaks for the most part it feels calculated, controlled and well considered. This allows her more emotional outbursts to feel more impactful in the room. Her exploration of the tokenism in the text and the journey to this realisation is heartbreaking to witness, the doubt that slowly submerges of her ability and lack of sense of self is portrayed with such delicacy.
The two actors deliver the text separately, although their stories link up and intertwine along the way. They represent a multitude of women, battling against issues that are only encountered by women. When the actors finally interact on stage they have a warming, real connection which has such a powerful supportive feeling. At the risk of making a sweeping statement, going through these powerful, life shaping moments connects most of us women, we don’t need to survive them alone.
The direction by Lucy Hayes perfectly compliments her writing, working with the designer Roisin Martindale, lighting designer Holly Ellis and sound designer Hattie North to create a welcoming environment. The set is simplistic, futuristic and functional allowing the actors to move set to drive the story along to force a change of pace in the text. The sound of static, along with a flicker of light allows us to recognise that there is something convoluting the thoughts of the women, something which is preventing them from living the life they anticipated.
Bitter Lemons is a must watch at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It’s gripping in its storytelling and the performers work seamlessly to ensure they match the energy of the writing, they compliment each other perfectly on stage. An acknowledgement of what it is to be a woman.
Bitter Lemons is running at Beneath at the Pleasance Courtyard August 7-15th and 17-28h at 14:20. Grab your tickets here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/bitter-lemons
Theatre Scotland 
Leave a comment