The Moth is a 3 day run at the studio theatre at the top of The Lowry theatre building from Elysium Theatre Company and is part of a UK tour to 25 venues in the North and Midlands.
Playwright Paul Herzberg adapted the script from what was originally a 10 minute film in a series ‘The Covid -19 Monologues’, created during the pandemic restrictions, winning several awards.
This play is the second monologue in the series to be adapted for the stage.
It is based on a true story and features just two male characters, a black journalist and broadcaster John Josana played by Faz Singhateh and a white South African ex soldier,Marius Muller, played by Micky Cochrane, with a voice over feature from Adjoah Andoh.
The two men have a chance meeting on a train in the 1990’s which changes their lives, and continues to have effects many years later.
The Lowry studio stage set was very simple and was moved to accommodate different scenes of a television studio, train carriage and a private house.
The screen at the back is used as a backdrop to show landscape rushing by the train, personal photos to illustrate the lives talked about and part of the live TV show, which was really effective.
The performance begins with a TV show called Confessional, which is the flagship show of John Josana, who appears to be featuring as a guest this time, alongside Marius. They are there to tell the story of both their original backgrounds, how they came to meet, and what effect this has had on them.
The following scenes move back and forward in time, revealing more about their pasts and how they have more in common that they will admit. This is an incredibly powerful performance, as both characters talk about their upbringing, which seems to have been both brutal and lonely, with abandonment a large painful part of it. One character has a much more tightly controlled and intellectual response to their feelings, whilst the other has a more visceral, emotional response.
The life of fear and uncertainty of black activism in South Africa and the brutality of what was expected in the military are incredibly well portrayed by the two actors. Their monologues are both powerfully emotional and spellbinding.
There is a lot to process in both acts of the performance and there are some shockingly violent revelations, and much anger and pain, seemingly almost without resolution. Both have suffered and have dealt with this differently, forgiveness much harder for one than the other. One with a successful career and loving family, the other struggling with PTSD was a stark contrast.
This was, at times, a most uncomfortable experience, with nuggets of dark humour, but felt incredibly authentic and really is a must see. Its short run at The Lowry is over, but I’m certain we will see it return to theatres before long.
Thanks to the Lowry Front of House and Hospitality staff as usual, always a pleasure.
Christine Ince for Canal St Media