Review: Bright Places (Birmingham Rep / UK Tour)

Review by Raphael Kohn

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s often difficult to talk about chronic illnesses and disabilities. As a society, we’re frankly just not very good at it. Conversations are often shrouded in awkwardness, unsure what the ‘right’ thing to say is, never knowing how to make sure you don’t offend someone or do the wrong thing. Rae Mainwaring, creator of Bright Places, didn’t get the memo. Instead, her brash, bold, and unapologetically in-your-face play shies away from nothing, ready to talk about them confidently. And most importantly, there’s no sympathy elicited here either; this is an affirming and optimistic celebration of power, not limitation.

In the wrong hands, it could be inauthentic and embarrassing, but Bright Places is not in the wrong hands. Put simply, this is Mainwaring’s autobiography of her diagnosis and experiences of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks their own nerves in their brain. She’s not afraid to talk about the pain, the loss of mobility, and the lifelong difficulties that MS can cause. But she’s also able to put a positive spin on things, to make a joke in times of great adversity, and to scatter light in amongst the dark.

It may be an autobiography, but Mainwaring splits it between three actors. Structuring it as a connected (and chronologically linear) series of vignettes, they take their turn exploring different facets and events of Mainwaring’s experience, from before her diagnosis to her initial response and coping with her condition, to where she is today. When not actively leading the scene, each of the three takes it in turns to play supporting roles or narrate from the side of the stage.

These three are an exceptional trio, with Lauren Foster, Aimee Berwick and Rebecca Holmes sharing the stage. At times, they almost compete for the limelight, for the chance to tell the story themselves, but at others, they work together in such wonderful synergy that they absolutely sell their shared role. There’s something magically natural about the way they work together.

It's hardly naturalistic stuff. You might be familiar with the ‘fourth wall’, that invisible barrier between you and the actors on stage, who rarely break said wall to engage directly with the audience. Well, there’s none of that here. Right from the get-go, when our trio of actors stroll onstage, comfortably talking to us and declaring themselves to be actors, it’s clear this will not be a ‘normal’ play. More traditionally-told scenes are broken up by almost absurd, high-camp skits: a particular highlight is the TV show host ‘My-leen Sheath’ (the pun on the anatomical covering of a nerve fibre is thankfully explained so that the entire audience is in on the joke). It’s as if this is a fantasy full of truth.

The titular ‘bright places’ are all around. They appear as referenced in the protagonist’s MRI scan, scar tissue dotted around her brain, lit up as the ‘bright places’. Then, there’s the sparkly streamers covering every item in sight (thanks to designer Debbie Duru), sparkling all around. Most impressively, the whole thing is lit ambitiously for the small space by Holly Ellis, who delineates the contrast between serious and silly with effective lighting changes. Higher-energy scenes are performed in flashing purple, green, and blue; the more serious moments and heartfelt scenes find themselves illuminated in plainer beiges.

At the back of Duru’s set stands a tall white wall, intelligently used by Virginie Taylor and Ben Glover to display creative captions. It’s a play which is accessible by design, its onstage actions given audio description throughout as part of the writing and captioned throughout as a way to highlight and reflect on its narrative. It just goes to show how inclusivity can be baked implicitly and easily into a production with a bit of outside-the-box thinking and a good deal of creative talent.

It's also got a surprising educational value, with its more medical scenes not only used to teach the characters about the way MS works and its effects on the body, but also educating the audience. It’s great to see a show that explores a condition that’s rarely understood well by the public. And while it could have bordered on preachy at times, thankfully the fourth wall-breaking device gives the play the structure it needs to be believable.

Taking the serious with the light, there’s more than a little magic going on in Bright Places. It may well be an autobiographical story about a life-changing diagnosis. But it’s a heartfelt blend of sincerity and exuberance, drenched in razzle-dazzle. It goes close to the line at times, but in never crossing it, it’s perfectly balanced. What a joyous, uplifting, and meaningful 80 minutes.

Bright Places plays at the Birmingham Rep until 2nd November 2024, then touring. Tickets for all dates available from https://www.carbontheatre.org.uk/events

Photos by Graeme Bradiwood