mother ignacia

This was such a wonderful start to my year of theatre! Mother Ignacia is a lovely two-hander show about learning more about yourself and the world around you, highlighting generational divides and beliefs and how we can reach across them in order to grow. All the creative choices of this piece were so simple and yet so effective, and complemented the complexities of the many issues that the play tackles and make it an excellent example of what can be achieved even with the limited resources of fringe theatre.

We are instantly transported to Quezon City, near Manila, with simple but effective set, setting the story in a recognisable district for anyone familiar with this city, but even if you aren't, a short news clipping quickly sets the premise of the show. The opening scene immediately grabs you with humour and the endearing Arjyll (soon to be AJ), and leaves you with burning questions about what is to come. We are given a glimpse as to what's to come by each character's phone call to another named character, also giving us a sense of who they are and how they connect to each other. I found the almost matching but opposing colour scheme of the two characters' outfit a delightful visual clue as to the journey these women would go on together over the course of the play.

It can be hard to keep an audience engaged through extended dualogues, but there is never a dull moment between these two! Glerren Bangalan's writing is dynamic and has captured the nature of an intimate conversation, with perfectly timed humourous moments. Anyone who has wanted someone wiser to tell them what to do in a tough situation has yearned for a conversation like this and the kind words that Irene shares with Arjyll are comforting for the audience even if they haven't experienced the exact problems that Arjyll is dealing with. All the subjects that the characters discuss are sensitively dealt with and discussion of what the older generations may think about Arjyll's sexuality are not laced with judgement. We understand what Arjyll is going through and how tough it is, but Irene's genuine sympathy and ability to put aside her personal gripe with Arjyll and support another woman is uplifting.

This production is exactly what I wish for theatre to be. Strong characters that we recognise in ourselves or those we love, tackling of relevant social issues without a sense of doomerism and leaves us with a positive feeling that can inspire us to action for a better future. This is the kind of work that makes me inspired to be create my own work in the hopes that I can make someone feel like this one day!