The Prague Fringe Festival: Day 3 (May 24)

To summarise the piece in one sentence as "a young lesbian leading a life in a small, conservative town" does not do the writing of this piece any justice. A number of life issues are successfully covered in a short space of time in addition to this summation. A young person's isolation and handling of a broken relationship is something most, if not all, of us can relate to. Set against the back-drop of religion, small minded minorities and economic struggle, Ruth's (the main character) passion and plight are magnified. In my opinion the piece is powerfully performed, engaging the audience and personalising the content. The distinction between desperation and confusion leading up to the main tragic event, is delivered with aplomb and the required impact is successfully achieved.

From my own observation, the final scene, supposedly "bordering on declamation", had a number of the audience, particularly couples, questioning their own relationships and emotions, gesturing approval to one another. This "declamation" brings the piece together, incorporating the relationship between Ruth with her mother, her sibling, and also her lover. My peers and I left A Studio Rubin in a state of contemplation, emotions churned, reflecting on what would be important to us from our past, current and future relationships. It is fair to describe the material as 'heavy', however it is equally entertaining and thought provoking. An opinion I'm sure the writers and cast would be pleased to hear.

I appreciate that the review is one person's cultured opinion on a single performance, aimed at informing and provoking discussion. Whilst I am no expert, I am compelled to respectfully add this response, somewhat in defence of Gennings and Bergmann's 'This Still Night'. Furthermore, having seen the show twice, I would like to commend the company on taking on board, the comments made in the review, and making subtle changes, attempting to address the issues raised. A sign of maturity and a humbling determination, which others would do well to recognise.

The cast and crew of This Still Night have deservedly won the Spirit of the Fringe Award for 2009. Many, many, many congratulations and well earned credit to them.

Musicians: Colin Smith, Alex Gould
Language: Jessica DalCanton
Women: Katie Gould