Bindweed

Photo by Will Green

Guest review by Russell Cook from Suffolk Village Info.

There were gasps of shock and surprise, laughs at the dark humour, and the odd murmur of discontent as this thought-provoking world premier took to the stage. For it takes on the challenging issues of domestic abuse, and the play’s characters bring to life the enormity of dealing with the pressure and problems involved in this crime.

Take former police officer, Jen - wonderfully portrayed by Laura Hanna - who has a line up of four men who have beaten up their wives and partners in a variety of unwarranted attacks. She is also dealing with a difficult past linked to the crime and has a huge shadow hanging over her following the death of a victim while she was a policewoman.

Now, she has left the force and become an advocate and counsellor for the perpetrators. They include Mike (Simon Darwen), Charlie (Shailan Gohil), Brian (Sean Kingsley), and Frank (Moray Treadwell), who between them have carried out painful and sustained attacks on their womenfolk. They’re not your ‘normal’ perpetrators of violence against the opposite sex, particularly as one of them is a minister, but that’s what writer Martha Loader appears to want to get across to the audience … that virtually any man can be a potential abuser.

From broken limbs to stab wounds to blooded bodies, there’s a whole range of injuries inflicted by these attackers, all of which comes out during Jen’s tense and dangerous confrontation with the quartet.

Meanwhile, she’s also trying to get her life back on track and has an on/off relationship with a man who she suspects is stalking her. Add into the mix Nina, Siobhan, and Belinda - all played by Josie Brightwell - who are the victims of two of the men, and an unsuspecting mum of a son who shows the early signs of an abuser, and you see the play throws up a multitude of worrying and shocking scenarios.

Photo by Will Green

Set in Colchester, Bindweed is a shattering and darkly funny new play about responsibility and rehabilitation, which looks at what can be done to tackle abuse at its root.

The set may be minimal but the characters, performance and production is outstanding and it’s a must watch play for all.

Note: Bindweed was first written by Martha as part of the Mercury Playwrights scheme and it won the Judges Award at the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2022. She has had her work presented by HighTide, Mercury Theatre, Cambridge Junction, and INK, and is an associate artist of the New Wolsey Theatre. She is currently working on commissions from Menagerie Theatre Company and the Almeida Theatre as part of the Genesis New Playwrights, Big Plays Programme.

Bindweed is at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich until 29 June 2024.

FOR FULL SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE