First performed at the National Theatre in 2017, Lucy Kirkwood’s witty drama of sisterhood is now being staged at the Tower Theatre in Stoke Newington.
Mosquitoes follows the story of two vastly contrasting sisters. Alice (Rachel Bothamley) lives in Geneva working as a physicist on the Large Hadron Collider. She is accompanied by her son Luke (Andrew Mortimer, making his Tower Theatre debut), an intelligent but troubled student. Jenny (Emily Carmichael) lives in Luton, she is a woman plagued by grief after believing everything she reads on the internet.
The intimate venue lends itself beautifully to the difficult topics this play discusses. The audience is close, you can see the raw emotion coming from each and every performer on the stage. It is clear that director Anna Jones has worked incredibly hard into making this performance a heartfelt and captivating piece which she has achieved well, but was perhaps lost a little during slightly long scene transitions.
Emily Carmichael stuns in her role as Jenny. She leaps from moments of chaos to these moments of stillness and silence where every layer of emotion is written on her face. She beautifully captures Jenny’s complex personality that contrasts wonderfully with Rachel Bothamley’s portrayal of Alice. Bothamley perfectly executes the duality of this character: the put-together, clever scientist and the helpless mother and daughter. Together they deliver a fantastic representation of sisters.
Although each member of this cast deserves a mention, notable performances come from Amanda Waggott as the matriarch Karen, and especially Luke Owen, who captivates as The Boson, delivering complex and challenging monologues with ease and charm.
Mosquitoes is a thought-provoking and heartfelt piece that is a pleasure to watch.
It runs until the 15 October.
Review: Jess Crook