The Match Box @ Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
This one-woman show delves deeply into love and hate and questions what we could do after a tragedy.
The Match Box by Irish playwright Frank McGuinness is a haunting, emotionally raw window into the life of Sal, a mother whose innocent young daughter was murdered as she played in the street. In this Richard Baron-directed production, Sal is played passionately by Janet Coulson, who has the gift of a talented storyteller, keeping the audience rapt for the entirety of this 90-minute monologue.
The play, which premiered originally at the Liverpool Playhouse in 2012, mines deeply the themes of love and hate, and follows events leading up to the tragic death of Sal’s daughter Mary, who was shot down by a gang of youths. These youths, who were “just playing” with guns, turn out to be a trio of brothers who remain free in the local neighbourhood where no-one talks and families keep themselves to themselves.
Although alone on the stage and with minimal props to work with – a microphone on a stand, a table, some chairs – Coulson fills the room with the voices of Sal’s mother and father, her daughter and her neighbours, and takes the audience from home to morgue to graveside to press conference as the horror of this tragedy unfolds. The aftermath shows the audience the agony of a family who have had their soul ripped out, searching for answers and justice, and facing a community silent in reply.
The rhythm of the story is like a torrent which builds with emotion and ever-quickening pace as Sal’s devastation begins to bubble over the surface, and a bereaved mother who is determined not to cry any tears begins to unravel. The hope and potential of revenge brims like a pot on the stove as Sal walks by the house of those who committed the murder. “A match for a thatch”, Sal’s ailing father offers.
Throughout the play Sal lights matches, letting each one burn in her fingers before discarding them. Each time she does, the drama and agony of the unfolding events is brought back into focus as the audience stares on ,transfixed by the glowing ember. This play forces the audience to question: how far would you go for justice, for revenge? The Match Box is an emotionally powerful play which will haunt audiences and force them to question their own morality in the face of tragedy. Would you light the match?
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, run ended; at Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, 20-24 Feb