A wickedly funny piece that speaks to the heart
Every woman in her late twenties knows the struggle – to have a baby, or not to have a baby. Balancing laments over the state of the world with the overwhelming maternal urge to reproduce is the subject of much media – BAIRNS, by Annie Davison, addresses this very struggle in a fresh and nuanced way.
Davison, who also plays the main character of Lottie, struts onto the stage with protruding pregnant belly, and recounts a story of sassing a fellow mother-to-be. But Lottie is not going to be the mother of the baby she’s carrying – she’s decided, amongst the chaos of her own life, to be a surrogate for her older sister, who badly wants a child of her own. Davison is immediately charismatic in her portrayal of the struggling twenty-something woman. There are shades of Fleabag in her interpretation – there is unfounded tension in her family life, her love life is a mess – and, most importantly, she is fiercely loyal to her sister. The scenes between these two characters are the most compelling of the piece – the characterisation of her sister feels relatable and real, while still uniquely fitting the premise.
Davison’s performance style has a distinct stand-up quality to it – indeed, the jokes come thick and fast (her impression of Rory, father of the baby and rather hapless husband, is comedy gold). But the more serious moments of this piece is where Davison’s writing, and Daniel Bainbridge’s direction, shine. On a mostly bare stage, save for a black folding chair and some clever lighting, various hospital rooms are created out of thin air. The birthing scene, in particular, is a highlight, showcasing Davison’s strength both in acting and writing.
The only point at which I struggled with this piece is in some of the narrative points – Davison’s Lottie is a prime example of a unreliable narrator, but some of the choices the character makes in relation to her pregnancy feel somewhat disjointed and out of the blue. Indeed, towards the end, I found her character’s misanthropic personality veering a bit too close to simply being cruel, and I didn’t quite believe the redemption arc she goes through. The conclusion of the piece is the most emotionally cutting, but I felt the story lost its way a little on the road to it.
Overall, this is a wickedly funny piece that speaks to the heart – no matter if you are a woman in her twenties, if you have a sister, if you have a baby or if you don’t. With some of tweaking of the narrative, BAIRNS certainly has to potential to grow up into something very special indeed.