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TAHI Ōtepoti Festival — Letdown
Wednesday, October 14 — New Athenaeum Theatre
Review by Brenda Harwood
The exhaustion, fear and confusion of new motherhood are explored with heart and lots of humour by Dunedin writer-performer Marea Colombo in her deeply-personal play Letdown.
Based on letters written by Colombo during late-night breastfeeding sessions, the show unfolds through reflection on the challenges of new motherhood against the backdrop of society's expectations and the dreaded social media perfect-parenting mafia.
The show, created with dramaturgy by Bronwyn Wallace, and technical design and direction by Tabitha Littlejohn, is tightly written, and makes excellent use of the dark imaginings that come in the middle of the night to hilarious and moving effect.
The setting is a simple bedroom, with bed, lamp and scattered clothing — a space that ranges from a place of rest to a sleepless psychological torture chamber, and even a battleground.
Colombo is an engaging and dynamic performer, alternately prowling around the space like a caged lioness or flopping on the bed in exhaustion, as her increasingly-deranged, social media-fuelled, night-time thoughts multiply.
It is through these mechanisms that Letdown explores the central question — how does one cope with the joy and terror of new motherhood on no sleep?
However, as the difficulties of Colombo’s protagonist reveal, a definitive answer is hard to come by.
All in all, Letdown is an entertaining, engaging and thought-provoking theatre experience.
The show’s final performance on Saturday night, as part of the TAHI Ōtepoti festival, is sold out.