The Memory of Water Review: A Blackly Funny Exploration of Sisterly Bonds and Grief
Shelagh Stephenson's Olivier award-winning comedy The Memory of Water receives a compelling and well-acted production at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton, before transferring to Liverpool's Everyman and Playhouse. This poignant play delves into the complex dynamics between three grownup sisters who are reunited by the death of their mother, Vi, exploring themes of memory, neediness, and unrequited desires with a distinctive black humour.
Three Sisters, Three Different Needs
The production features three central performances that capture the distinct personalities and vulnerabilities of the sisters. Victoria Brazier portrays Teresa, the eldest sister, with an austere and brittle quality. As the primary carer during their mother's final days of dementia, Teresa is trapped in a narrative of martyrdom, constantly feeling overlooked and second-best, craving respect for her devotion.
Helen Flanagan brings a babbling, self-absorbed energy to Catherine, the youngest sister at thirty-three. Catherine exhibits a permanent need for coddling and reassurance, constantly seeking validation about her appearance, health, and desirability, highlighting her childlike neediness.
At the heart of the play is Mary, played by Polly Lister with a wise yet vulnerable demeanour. The thirty-nine-year-old doctor is the family's high-flyer, receiving admiration but yearning for deeper understanding and love, representing a different facet of the sisters' shared childhood neediness.
A Mother's Haunting Presence
Stephenson's clever narrative device brings the deceased mother, Vi, back to life through the performance of Vicky Binns. Haunting the family home, Vi possesses needs of her own, particularly the desire to be valued by her daughters. In a play fundamentally about memory, Vi offers a contrasting account of the past that challenges the sisters' self-justifying childhood tales.
This thematic exploration connects to a subplot involving a patient in Mary's care, a young man rebuilding his history after post-traumatic amnesia. Similarly, the daughters have constructed their memories in ways that suit their personal narratives, creating a rich commentary on the subjective nature of recollection.
Beyond Sitcom Conventions
While The Memory of Water maintains a blackly funny tone that prevents sentimentality, it rises above conventional sitcom blandness through its deeper psychological exploration. The play examines how, in their mother's absence and without old grievances to rely upon, the sisters must endure the painful process of redefining themselves and their relationships.
Under Lotte Wakeham's direction, this production—a collaboration with the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse—may be more cosy than explosive, lacking a single dramatic climax where all ideas coalesce. However, the reflective, bittersweet appeal of the emotional to-and-fro between the characters creates a compelling theatrical experience that resonates with audiences.
The production continues at the Octagon in Bolton until 21st February, before transferring to the Everyman in Liverpool from 25th February to 14th March, offering theatre-goers in the North West an opportunity to engage with this thoughtful exploration of family, memory, and loss.
