Raven – Liverpool Playhouse Studio

The raven is often associated with loss and ill-omen and there’s plenty of that in Abigail McKenzie’s debut play as, inspired by her own lived experiences with addiction, homelessness, children’s services, and domestic abuse, the piece delves into themes of addiction, isolation, and the far-reaching consequences on maternal relationships.

Staged on a raised platform with the audience on three sides, Raven presents the challenges of a mother, Elis (McKenzie), trying to reconnect with her young daughter who has been taken into care, with an unravelling back story hinting as to how she has got to this position.

The play touches upon a range of sensitive and challenging issues, which most audience members will not have direct experience of, so as an adject, I must note that I have worked in this field for over twenty years supporting mothers and fathers who have limited or no contact with their children.

It is very easy to get swept up in someone’s personal maelstrom, where unimaginable experiences are expressed so vividly and direct, but ultimately there needs to be a resonance with wider societal issues and a point being made or there is a risk that it becomes little more than a vanity project.

The character of Elis is not particularly likeable and whilst there is some evocation of sympathy for a broken woman caught up in a broken system, as her back story unravels one can’t help feeling that the right actions have taken place at this point in time, and Eris’ situation is one from she is unwilling or incapable of escaping, which in turn leaves the audience in an unsatisfying limbo in relation to a character who appears as much a victim of herself as she is of anything else, but one can’t help but feel that McKenzie hopes to convey so much more.

This is the third play I have seen in recent weeks exploring what are very personal issues, and like the first two, this piece suffers from the need for greater independent creative check because, in this case, the writer has chosen to perform her own work. Were director Elinor Randle and dramaturg Francesca Peschier confident enough to challenge when the writer/performer’s message is so personal? Would a fresh actor in conjunction with dramaturg and director have interrogated, interpreted, and expressed the words with more meaning? It’s worth considering moving forward because there are some very important points to be made here that are not coming across.

There is a who’s who of Liverpool theatre creatives credited to this production – I won’t name everyone – but you can have too much of a good thing as well as too many things going on: designer Ruta Staseviciute’s puppetry is an interesting but not entirely necessary addition, and I wonder whether the raven is better left as metaphor. Satin Beige performs her musical compositions live on the cello, but sound designer Laura Campbell’s arrangements appear to be pre-recorded. Roxanne Vella’s stage was dressed suitably messily to reflect Eris’ inner and outer turmoil but felt a little too clean and crisp. The Playhouse Studio is a naturally dark space with its black walls so I would have expected greater use of light and shadow from lighting designer Liz Barker to capture the demons closing in, whilst McKenzie’s competent performance felt just that bit too composed: with such important issues being raised, this sadly felt more of an opportunity missed.

Raven performs at Liverpool Playhouse Studio through to 22^nd March 2025. Times and booking details at https://everymanplayhouse.com/event/raven/

Reviewer: Mark Davoren

Reviewed: 20^th March 2025

North West End UK Rating: