A dimly lit room. One table, one chair and one honest voice. Accounting her tale of desire, self-degradation and demise, Andrea’s candid voice returns to the stage in Fear No Colours’ simplistic yet deep-seated production of Phillip Ridley’s Dark Vanilla Jungle.
Stepping into the bare room, a burdened Andrea (Aea Varfis-van Warmelo) attempts to explain what really happened to the soldier and her baby. Beginning her tale, aged 15, we grasp her hand firmly and walk through an adolescence full of mental and physical trauma. Sexually abused, abandoned at every turn, yet simply longing for love, Andrea’s elucidation of her existence unfurls.
Renowned for his ability to delve into the human psyche, Ridley’s breathless script focuses on the inner workings of female degradation and the disparity of longing. Andrea’s tale is familiar without losing its sad sense of individuality.
Able to avoid seeming loquacious, Warmelo attacks Ridley’s wordy script with a chaotic calm giving each layer of Andrea’s story a strong delineation of maturity and experience. Adjusting the ever changing pace, she gives an outstanding performance.
With no space between actor and audience, Andrea talks directly to the audience claiming them as her confidant. Painfully presented before the audience, the starkness of language and lucidity of human exploitation magnifies the reality of this woman’s undoing.
Performance Times:
3 - 29 August (Not 16th)
6.15pm (7.25pm)
Tickets £7.50- £11.50 (2 for 1 on 8th & 9th)