Originally performed in Brazil then the Young Vic in 2015, the revival of Song from Far Away has opened at HOME, Manchester.
The piece is set several years after the event and is told through the letters he has written to the brother he has lost. Willem, a 34-year-old man living in New York, receives a phone call which tells him it’s time to go home to Amsterdam. Will Young delivers this single-handed play beautifully, telling the story of Willem’s journey home to an estranged family and a forgotten relationship.
Set in what seems to be one room with a sofa and a chair, a couple of tables and a huge set of curtains at the back, as the story unfolds, through the use of lighting and the movement of the curtains, you are transported to numerous locations, an airport, a hotel, Willem’s parents’ house. Designed by Ingrid Hu, the set is pivotal, with the ability to open up huge to closing down small showing how Willem is feeling closed in and trapped, with the ceiling coming down toward him.
Grief shows itself in many ways and we are taken through many emotions as Young describes his numerous relationships in the story, an ex, his parents, his sister, and her children, even with himself. Anger, pain, and confusion are some of the emotions Young uses to take us through this story but we also feel some clarity and self-discovery. Willem uses breathing as a coping mechanism, focussing on his breathing to ground himself when things become too much.
Simon Stevens and Mark Eitzel have written a beautiful piece, a piece which can be dissected and digested, and each audience member will leave taking something slightly different from it, depending on their own relationship with grief.
Young captivates the audience with beautiful clear diction, and a fantastic accent which, with the help of dialect coach, Penny Dwyer, was precise and very easy to understand. Young moves around the set using different levels while telling the story, from sitting on the back of the sofa to sitting on the floor, although quite static, this draws you in further as it forces you to focus on the words and the emotion. This is wonderful direction from Kirk Jameson.
There is a song that Willem is trying to find throughout the play, he only catches small bits in the background, but he knows it’s important so when we get to the end of the piece, and he has figured it out. Young singing the song was mesmerising, that stunning voice stirring all the emotions. A beautiful way to round the piece off, he finally found that Song from Far Away and in turn can start to find himself.
Running until Saturday 11th March with tickets available from https://homemcr.org/production/song-from-far-away/
Reviewer: Damian Riverol
Reviewed: 25th February 2023
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★