Since theatre has become strictly an online event, the likes of the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company have become some of the front runners of streaming their past performances. However, some smaller (and even some regional) theatres have also joined in! And a few weeks ago, we were given the opportunity to watch the Old Vic’s 2018 performance of Mood Music.
Ben Chaplin and Seána Kerslake
Mood Music was written by Joe Penhall – the writer of Olivier Award Winning Musical, Sunny Afternoon (2014) and stage plays, Blue/Orange (2000), Dumb Show (2004) and Birthday (2012). It starred Ben Chaplin, Seána Kerslake, Pip Carter, Kurt Egyiawan, Neil Stuke and Jemma Redgrave. As someone who wanted to see the play back in 2018 (but was in the middle of A Level exams), I was very excited that we were being graced with this performance! Also, as someone interested in contemporary performance and the character of a psychologist or therapist in theatre, I knew that this was a must-see piece!
In the play, we are introduced to two figures of the music industry, Bernard (Ben Chaplin), a music producer and Cat (Seána Kerslake), a young and promising musician. They are in the midst of a legal battle over who owns a song. We hear both sides of the story, as they discuss the situation with their therapists (Pip Carter and Jemma Redgrave) and we also see the constant debate between their lawyers (Neil Stuke and Kurt Egyiawan). The inner demons of the characters are drawn out by their therapists, who delve into Bernard and Cat’s relationships, mental states and family situations. Whilst their lawyers offer a new level of severity to the situation and present how toxic working relationships and legal battles are frequently happening within the industry.
Images from https://www.oldvictheatre.com/whats-on/2018/mood-music#event-media-gallery
The main characters are really interesting, mostly because we see the good and bad parts of them. Firstly, Bernard, who is quite egotistical in his role as producer. For the audience, particularly at the start, I think he comes across as quite manipulative, especially with his relationship with Cat. However, as the play goes on, we see he is more complex than first expected, especially due to his relationship with his ex-wife. He also frequently uses humour to cover how uncomfortable he is when talking about his feelings. Fortunately, his therapist, Ramsay, eventually manages to help him open up.
Secondly, the character of Cat. She is young, aspiring and extremely creative. She often questions her position both as an artist in the music industry, and as a young woman. She talks about her experiences of being controlled and manipulated when on tour, and I think that she is extremely brave to confront an unequal and powerful industry. Her therapist, Vanessa, perhaps is the most understanding, as a woman herself, and helps the audience to sympathise with Cat’s awkward position.
The conversations between musician and therapist, musician and lawyer, and then musician and musician, all happen at the same time – all of the action has been intertwined, and their situations and individual ideas are overlapped onto one another. I think that Joe Penhall writes this really well, and somehow despite the constant moving of action and the changing of narrative and perspective, it still remains pretty easy to follow for the audience.
For me, one of the stand-out parts of Mood Music was the unique staging. As mentioned, there was constant moving about of the characters and seating, and I think that this chaos and complexity almost reflected the drama and severity of the situation. Notably, a very interesting section of the performance was when the two musicians and two therapists were all sat in a square (see my diagram above). There were two separate conversations happening between patient and therapist (on the diagonal), but the subject matter frequently overlapped, which I though was really interesting.
The conversations involved the other character and were paralleled in subject matter. I think this set-up really helped to see that the action and plot is shared between these two main figures, and that Bernard and Cat were a lot more similar than they think – in their stubbornness and creativity. The director, Roger Michel did a great job in making sure the action was easily understandable and to make sure the focus was on Bernard and Cat, who were positioned at the very front of the stage. For me, it helped to see that the drama was central to these characters.
Also, at the back of the stage, there were four chairs, and if the action didn’t involve either therapist or lawyer, then they would sit at the back of the stage – almost to make sure the audience knew that they should focus on the main characters and their interaction. By the end of the play, the therapists and lawyers all finish the piece by playing instruments, as a way to bring calm the the conclusion. The motif as music as a restorative and reflective medium is definitely shown throughout.
I would definitely recommend Mood Music, as it really explores the strains of the music industry and the impact mentally, personally and professionally, very effectively. It had a stellar cast, who illustrated all of these complexities very well and who had me hooked for the entire duration.
Oh! You Little Things 