REVIEW: Marooned, Headgate Theatre, Colchester Fringe Festival ✭✭✭

Paul T Davies reviews Aion Theatre's production of Marooned presented at the Colchester Festival.

Marooned Headgate Theatre, Colchester Fringe Festival 3 Stars Colchester Fringe Festival Following the devastation of World War Two, we meet three survivors of a shipwreck, marooned on a tiny boat, three cultures of English, Scottish and Polish people. We hear their backstories, and the boat itself becomes a microscopic world of flight, survival, and history. Henrika has lost everything, Poland a shattered country for her, Beryl is an entertainer and former nurse, attempting to get to America and start a new life, and Donald is a proud Scotsman, damaged by his wartime experiences. There is much good writing here, and the performances are lively and engaging. When the characters step out of the boat to reenact flashbacks, it jars a little, especially as Beryl’s involves a short dance routine, this needed more work, though Bryony Palmer invests her with the right amount of ego and growing sympathy. Adam Dunston is perfect as Donald, with Scottish dourness and whisky, and AgataSzczepańska brings beautiful poignancy to Henryka, particularly with a beautiful traditional song. The breaking down of the walls between them is nicely played. However, there feels like there is a lot of padding, especially when the characters share songs from their country, “We’ll Meet Again” does outstay it’s welcome a little, and there is no sense of the passing of time, they feel as if they have been in that boat for the hour or so that we encounter them. It also reaches a wonderful ending with the use of paper boats, and then continues for a few more unnecessary lines, going beyond a very effective image. However, Aion Theatre’s production has much to recommend it.