Kites is a coming of age play about two girls growing up in the post-war era in Cork. The girls use their vivid imaginations to escape their childhood trauma! The play teases the idea that the girls are in love but does not directly address their sexuality directly.
Tzarini Meylers’ script captures the magic of childhood. The play has a good pace, with narration that helps to give a sense of time and place and creates suspense for the audience. Tzarini uses the powerful imagery of kites to represent how the girls are tied down but desperate to fly away. The story does a good job of establishing the characters and friendship between the girls, ahead of diving into the deeper issues. By introducing the issues gradually, the play allows each story of the girl’s trauma to resonate powerfully.
Tzarini plays Kitty a girl who is lost in her hometown without any friends. Although there is not a set for this piece Tzarini quickly invites the audience into her world, by using a variety of props to bring the story to life.
Ana Canals plays Angel who has escaped a war-torn Spain to settle in her mum’s hometown in Cork. We see her quickly learn to trust Kitty and grow into a confident woman.
Tzarini and Ana share great chemistry together, the dramatic moments of the story are harrowing, and they use time well to build tension. They used all of the space well and I enjoyed seeing each character develop differently throughout the story. Both characters could think further about what age the characters are at the start of the story as it was not obvious that they were little girls. There is more opportunity to define the differences between the ages.
Rory Meylers’ costumes are appropriate for each time zone and help the characters to develop. I particularly enjoyed the floral opera hats that became part of the girl’s imaginative play. Conor Dee’s sound design also helped to create the play’s atmosphere, especially with beach sounds when the girls are by the sea.
Kites is a creative story that highlights a lot of the issues girls face growing up. The story has some powerful messages and will peak the audience’s interest in learning more about the conflict in Spain. There is some room for development in the characterisation of the children, but this could be an easy fix. I’d recommend Kites to audiences that enjoy whimsical coming-of-age story about the power of believing in your full potential.
Reviewer: Jennifer Laishley
Reviewed: 9th March 2023
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★
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