Backstroke
The Donmar Warehouse has continued it's season with a new play written and directed by Anna Mackmin. Backstroke is supposedly a compassionate piece analysing a mother daughter relationship. But does it sink or swim?
Celia Imrie and Tamsin Greig star as the mother and daughter respectively as mother "Beth", too cool to be called mummy, and Greig as daughter Bo. As the story begins, Beth has had a stroke and is hospitalised with Bo coming to visit when she can around her busy life as a mum to an adopted daughter.
While in the hospital, Beth is surrounded by three stereotypes of hospitals of the nurse who cares too much "but is a really good nurse", the Dr who is too busy to pay attention and the nurse who is patronising. All of which are seen to clash with Bo who is trying to care for her mother while desperately aware her strong willed mothers wish was to not be left to struggle in hospital and "use the pillow" if that's quicker. Could this have been a gripping modern conversation about assisted dying, yes. Was it? No.
The nursing team, Carol (Lucy Briers), Jill (Anita Reynolds) and Paulina (Georgina Rich), all embody their characters well and provide some interesting moments but sadly leave a lot for the imagination as their one dimensional characters struggle to float against the impressive wave that is Imrie and Greig alone on stage.
The story splashes around in time with Greig diving into the past playing out memories from aged 6-46 and beyond with no clear direction as to why. Each memory reveals a snippet of their past as while we get to learn about Beth as a mother, we learn very little about Bo even though she has been given the harder task in the scene. Going back and forth between the past and the present feels as though we are supposed to learn more about Imrie as a mother and feel something during the impending eulogy that arrives at the end but alas it is too overrun with subplots to make enough sense.
All of this takes place on Lez Brotherston's simple and effective set with the present day hospital bed upstage blending into a well used kitchen and Aga downstage. While effective and well designed, it is the direction that lets down the set as scene transitions are plagued with loud and blurry videos on the backwall to distract the audience from Celia Imrie trotting back into bed and Tamsin Greig running out the hospital room door to walk back in a second later when the lights come up.
Looking through the programme, there are more people credited to the "Short Film Crew" that the stage itself. Considering the "short film" was mostly the same audio clip of a young girl yelling and some blurry images of Greig wandering with the occasional image of Imrie and Greig together underwater, it is baffling that this was prioritised. Aside from appearing as a distraction from the clunky scene transitions, the videos didn't add anything to the show and continued blurring the plot.
Particularly as the show closes with a sudden appearance of Bo's adopted daughter Skylar, just in time to bow and nothing else, there were many questions left unanswered while leaving the theatre.
It must be said, both Imrie and Greig are incredible and impressive performers with many excited to see two of the best actors of their generation take the stage together. While their performances are strong, with Imrie a tour de force and challenging presence, and Greig encapsulating many emotions in one simple look, sadly the text they were given lacks any depth to really challenge these actors and give them something to work with.
Backstroke is unfortunately a play packed too full to float with lots of subplots fighting for attention and too many lack any depth to dive into.
This show was reviewed on the 21st February 2025 at the Donmar Warehouse, London where it runs until the 12th April 2025. Tickets available here: BACKSTROKE — BY ANNA MACKMIN | Donmar Warehouse
Review written by Ryan Lenney
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Photo credit : Johan Persson
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