Anna Burnside reviews ‘a strong and thoughtful piece of writing’.
Lauren, a journalist, is struggling to clarify her thoughts on several key incidents from her own past. These crash into the story she’s covering, a Canadian politician who assaults his girlfriend then is accepted back at work.
We don’t hear this from Lauren herself. Instead, her friend Luke narrates her story. For most of the performance she sits on a raised chair, reacting only with her face and body to some deeply unpleasant and distressing memories.
Luke, standing to the side of the stage, goes through what happened with a tour guide in a Prague crypt, an older cousin and a sous chef who looked better in the flattering light of the restaurant.
It’s a brilliant framing device from writer Hannah Moscovitch, giving the narrative space and distance and then, at the end, allowing for a last shattering point. When Lauren explains that, as a journalist, the natural thing to do was to write everything down and then ask someone else to read it, she wanted someone calm who would be believed.
So, she chose a man.
David Patrick Flemming does a grand job as Luke. He is certainly calm and believable, also empathetic and warm. Michelle Monteith is human and believable as Lauren, embarrassed, unsure about the status of events from 20 years ago that she thought were just a normal part of growing up.
This is a strong and thoughtful piece of writing that asks adult questions with a cool voice. It does not shy away from the grey areas but pokes them gently and efficiently without name calling or finger pointing.
Christian Barry’s tight direction means Red Like Fruit is provocative and polemical without raising its voice. A hugely impressive feat to pull off.
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Red Like Fruit is at the Traverse Theatre until August 24, 2025. For performance details, go to the company’s website.
Photo by Riley Smith.
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