A ghost story with themes of queerness and familial trauma
Ivories is a play with visible potential – the set design is beautiful, the lighting is suspenseful, and the four actors (two in leading roles, two in supporting roles) are expressive and eager to engage with the material. However, the production had multiple weak moments. The story, what with its complex themes and thus a multitude of aspects to fully explore and elaborate on, was often difficult to make sense of. The actors could be slightly hard to hear at times (or maybe it was the fault of the fan I was seated close to?), which meant a lot of the lines were lost. Ivories is a story that attempts to be multifaceted, but ends up being confusing and off-putting.
Riley Elton McCarthy (the playwright), Matthias Hardarson, Daniel Neil Ash, and Ashley M. Cowles give decent performances. The script, unfortunately, seems too dimly written for any of the characters to seem nuanced; this is especially a red flag when you have characters who are queer (e.g. Sloane, played by McCarthy, is non-binary, while their husband Gwyn is bisexual and their best friend Beckham is gay). Being queer and dealing with family trauma and bereavement is incredibly loaded. There is so much that could have been explored, but sadly was not. Everything that could have been said about the characters seemed only to come from the lines that were spoken. This meant that Ivories and its characters were not compelling enough.
Hardarson in particular gave a strong performance. Gwyn was a married man contending with the presence of Beckham (portrayed by Ash), his former lover, and the increasingly disturbed behaviour of both Sloane and his neighbours. His displays of emotion, especially during a scene where Gwyn has a panic attack, are convincing. Hardarson manages to take a character which may not have been fully developed on paper, and breathes life into him. His performance is refreshing to watch.
Many aspects of Ivories felt unnecessary. The horror genre has always been a brilliant way for writers to explore trauma, as well as other subversive themes (e.g. the stigma and shunning that queer people face as they learn about and publicly reveal their identities, including by their own families). As I have mentioned, Ivories did have a great deal of potential. Characters dealing with their memories and vulnerabilities in the form of ghosts could have made for great viewing, but these weak points were far too noticeable to brush over.
I wish everyone involved the best in their future endeavours. There are always opportunities for improvement and growth, while still exploring themes that resonate with you!