A confident, moving two-hander about grief, ambition, and a family legacy in
mountaineering.
“In defence of adventurous mothers” written by Simon Marshall is the winner of the
inaugural VCA Playwriting Award, performed in the round at The Glitch, their freshly
renovated, beautiful basement venue. Two pillars in the space are wrapped in colourful
climbing wall hand holds, grounding the piece immediately, which the performers
playfully scale as the audience arrives. Before the play begins, the actors are already
chatting to us, bouncing fluidly between audience members and creating a fun,
immersive vibe that makes the room feel alive.
What unfolds is a slick, confident two-hander with expertly shared storytelling and
crackling chemistry between Lucy Wells and Jack Gray, who play two Yorkshire siblings
navigating the loss of their mother. Their mother was a famous mountaineer who died
on one of the world’s deadliest mountains when they were just children, leaving behind
a legacy that shapes both their lives in contrasting ways. It was a highly public loss, with
the press levelling heightened judgement at her ambition as a woman – blaming her,
even, for dying. A theme echoed throughout her daughter Nancy’s own mountaineering
career and son Theo’s work as a journalist covering the sport and surrounding scandal.
The siblings follow different interweaving paths, held in tension between building a
home and family and the giddy thrill of adventure. Nancy, single-minded and driven,
follows in her mother’s footsteps, pursuing climbing and life generally with a passionate
and sometimes wild intensity. Theo chooses a different route, becoming a journalist
covering her expeditions while settling down into a gentle, prosaic life with his boyfriend,
later husband. The writing is full of life, colour, and character, an assured voice that
knows exactly who these people are and tells their story with grounded truth. Their
father, played by both performers in different scenes, is quietly lost, trying to raise his
children alone while surrounded by an absence that lingers across years.
Oli Savage’s direction is dynamic, with intentional and affective storytelling choices that
keep the piece moving with pace, pulse, and charm, making full, creative use of the
space. There are lovely moments of parallel staging, such as when Theo dances
tenderly with his dad at his wedding to their parents’ song while Nancy is yelling at a
reporter at a press conference for gendered accusations made against her.
The world of mountaineering is made distinct, interesting and rich with specifics; it feels
fully realised. There are strong sub-themes around women and ambition, particularly
within professional spaces that celebrate them and lift them up, while expecting more
than anyone can give and then tearing them down at the first sign of…existing.
Both actors hold their journeys with energy, confidently shifting between roles and
timelines, and creating intimacy with the audience, sharing their story with us directly –
no small feat in the breadth covered by the play. This framing style can at times get in
the way of the story itself, pulling us out of the present moment and breaking emotional
immersion.
The final scene between the brother and sister is exquisitely written, with twists, turns,
bristles, and moving moments of connection. The piece is energetically and crisply
executed, though at times I would have valued a little more breathing space to process
certain moments and the jumps in location or character, and to see the impact on the
siblings of their twining growth.
Overall, it is a confident, moving piece that grounds its storytelling in humour, grief, and
characterful truth.