Eleanor
★★★★★ Historical insight
theSpace @ Niddry Street (Venue 9): Fri 2 – Sat 17 Aug 2024
Review by Tom Ralphs
For every figure whose name echoes throughout history there are the descendants destined to spend their lives living in the shadow of their ancestors.
Eleanor Marx, daughter of Karl Marx, one of the founding fathers of Communism, is one such person. In Eleanor, first seen as a Theatre Paradok production in November 2023 running to two hours, Ganymede Theatre reclaim her history in what is an excellent piece of new writing.
Ganymede are a new company making their Fringe debut this year, merging performers from the University of Edinburgh and Napier University with graduates and amateurs from Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland. The play is written by Agnes Perry-Robinson who co-directs with Eve Hartley.
The Cast of Eleanor. Pic: Ganymede Theatre
Eleanor opens with a seemingly innocuous scene of four children enjoying childhood games. At the centre of the action are Eleanor (Arlene McKay) and her friend Dollie (Nelly Greig). The two blend childhood enthusiasm with a sharp intelligence as they quote Shakespeare and cast the roles for their rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The scene could almost have come from Derry Girls as Freddy (Demuth), the sole boy in the group (Rider Hartley) gets assigned the role of Wall. It’s a smart opening revealing the character of Eleanor, stripped away from her famous father and giving a glimpse of everything she could have become if she wasn’t cursed by his name.
As Eleanor’s story unfolds Perry-Robinson’s script skilfully captures the contradictions at the heart of her life. She is fiercely independent, and critical of the contrast between the patronising accolades Dollie receives for her poetry and the gushing and excessive praise Dollie’s husband-to-be, Ernest Radford (Eric Parker), receives for his. At the same time, her unquestioning devotion to the married Edward Aveling (Columbus Mason) shows a different side to her, at odds with everything she seems to represent.
knowledge and justice
McKay switches between the confident and vulnerable sides of Eleanor while never losing sight of her passion, intellect and quest for knowledge and justice. Greig provides the perfect foil to her, in awe of her friend, supporting her but not living in her shadow and conflicted when she feels she could do more to save her from her ultimate fate.
Mason brings a brooding menace to Edward, aware that he is an outsider to the group but exploiting this to his advantage to show that he has a power over Eleanor that they can’t defeat. Rounding off the main roles, Parker’s warmth and concern provide a contrast to Edward’s calculating coldness that further illustrates the choices Eleanor has made.
Some of the smaller details of the script, such as the revelation that Karl Marx did not approve of Edward as a person let alone a partner for Eleanor, add further depth to her character and her conflict. Asking whether her choice of partner part of her rebellion and rejection of her father’s influence on her life.
attention to detail
A similar attention to detail comes across in the depiction of the smaller parts in the play. Hartley’s cameo appearances as the foppish Freddy provide light-hearted relief. William Dron as William (Morris) provides opening narration and reveals more back story later but never in a way that tips over into exposition. Ais Mcsharry, doubling as author Olive (Schreiner) and Eleanor’s maid, complements the other actors and shows the talent that runs throughout the cast.
The simple set, featuring a table covered with a red cloth and four chairs is used as something for the set piece scenes in the play to revolve around without ever intruding on the space or dictating the movement.
Eleanor Marx’s life was lived in her father’s shadow and her story has remained largely unheard for much the same reason. The play and production bring it out into its own light and not only show who she was but also what she could have been and what stopped her from achieving the life her early years suggested was waiting for her.
Running time: 50 minutes (no interval)
theSpace @ Niddry Street (Lower), Niddry Street, EH1 1TH (Venue 9)
Friday 2 – Saturday 17 August 2024
Daily (not Sun 11): 1.20pm
Details and tickets at: Book here
Instagram: @ganymedetheatrecompany
ENDS
