The Whale

‘The Whale’ is a deeply affecting story of a morbidly obese man’s final week in his journey to redemption and reconciliation.  Directed by Paul Turner-Johnson, in his debut directing role for Retford Little Theatre, we are brought face to face with the day-to-day life of Charlie.  Charlie is an English teacher now working as an online tutor, who has become so overweight that he cannot leave his own room, spending his days on his couch which he only leaves for trips to the bathroom.

When we first meet Charlie, he is analysing a thesis online and we get a hint of his dry sense of humour.  He gently mocks his students verbally, but they cannot see him as his video camera is not switched on.   After his intervention with the students, Charlie views some online gay porn, but the subsequent ‘exertion’ sets off an attack of breathlessness.   

Fortunately, he is saved by the arrival of Elder Thomas a young Mormon missionary.   Despite his initial shock, he responds as Charlie breathlessly asks him to read an essay to him, an analysis of Moby Dick.  For some reason these words seem to have a calming effect on Charlie.

Charlie’s friend Liz is a nurse who looks after him and she informs Elder Thomas that Charlie is dying from congestive heart failure. Liz is kindly but firm but surprisingly keeps Charlie supplied with junk food which he happily gorges on almost choking at one point.  Liz is fiercely protective of Charlie so why would Liz keep the over-weight Charlie supplied with his own ‘drug’ of junk food especially since she is a nurse and should be tending to his health?  She is also less than happy to see a Mormon in the flat and engages in a religious diatribe telling the shocked Elder Thomas that ‘Mormon’s killed his (Charlie’s) boyfriend.’

Charlie also has a teenage daughter who he has not seen since she was two years old, since his wife Mary divorced him over Charlie’s gay affair.  Charlie is desperate to see Ellie before he dies asking Liz to call her. When Ellie arrives, she is every father’s nightmare. Smart, sassy and less than impressed with her father’s current condition she wears her anger and bitterness like armour.   Despite her initial reaction, Ellie starts to build a kind of relationship with Charlie who offers to help her with her essay to pass her class he also offers her money that he has saved.

As their relationship develops, Ellie opens up about her school Ife and alcoholic mother, while Charlie tells her about his partner and his sad death.  Charlie wants answers why his partner Al chose to give up on their relationship, and he believes this hinges on a sermon that Alan heard at the local Mormon church.   

 Ellie also forms a sort of relationship with Elder Thomas teasing him mercilessly.  In one hilarious scene she is smoking pot hoping to shock him only for him to reveal that he had a pot habit which had resulted in him being kicked out of the missionary and estranged from his parents.  The pot smoking comes to an abrupt halt with the arrival of Ellie’s mother Mary. 

Charlie reconciles with Mary who admits meeting Alan in a supermarket.  Seeing how frail he was, she went to help him with his shopping rather than attacking him.   Mary is convinced that Ellie is selfish and evil, but Charlie just sees a refreshing honesty.  This is what he craves.  Honesty from his students, from his family and the honest reason for his partner’s suicide by starvation and the assurance that he has done ‘one good thing right’ in his life - his daughter Ellie. 

The cast, under direction from Turner-Johnson, created a harrowing sometimes humorous but utterly spellbinding piece of theatre.  It made you feel uncomfortable in its no holds barred honest approach to Charlie’s relationships and his self-loathing that had resulted in his suicide by food. Using the metaphor of whales, we were treated to whale music and the soothing lapping of the waves making us think that Charlie was on a literal journey.

Liz Rew played Mary with a bitter edge of a woman who had lost everything in a sea of alcohol.  She was brittle, sarcastic but softened as she discussed Alan and realised that Charlie was dying.  

Sarah Woodward as Liz was an honest interpretation of a sister and friend who could not save her brother and would do everything in her power to save Charlie.  Her relationship was at times frustrating as his constant need to apologise infuriated her and her fury at discovering his deception over the money was very well done. 

Ellie Hamer was wonderful as the Wednesday Addams like Ellie.  Smart and streetwise her character developed and softened towards the end as she realised more about her father and the reason he had kept her 8th grade paper about Moby Dick.  Her interactions as she mercilessly teased Elder Thomas were hilarious providing much needed humour. 

Josh Oprych was the naïve Elder Thomas and he played it beautifully from his slicked down hair to his plastic name badge.  Josh had some wonderful scenes with Ellie and Charlie especially his admission to a pot habit and his ultimate breakdown as he returned tie askew.  

Finally, Mark Hone.  Mark played Charlie as a masterclass in acting through stillness. Encased in a fat suit all his interactions were made using his facial expressions.  He established his character with self-deprecating humour, punctuated with wheezing, episodes of righteous anger and a constant need for apologising.  Mark kept his American accent throughout and modulated his voice to reflect Charlie’s steadily declining health.  His movements matched a man weighing over 40 stones as he shuffled painfully to the bathroom or sat immobilised in a wheelchair or on the couch.   Mark sat on his couch while all the other characters moved in orbit around him.  The moment where an incensed Charlie tried to shock Elder Thomas by detailing in graphic detail all his bodily traumas was truly heartbreaking as we came face to face with the physical reality of his slowly rotting body.  

Another stunning detailed set, which added to the overall claustrophobic atmosphere of Charlie’s self-imposed isolation, with props such as a ‘working’ fridge containing food stuffs and a TV where Charlie and Liz watched Judge Judy and piles of empty pizza boxes, KFC bucket meals  and Dr Pepper cans strewn around the flat.  Costumes were appropriate with Liz wearing blue scrubs and Elder Thomas in Mormon suit and tie.  Charlie’s suit was all grey with easily removed clothes and crocs to reflect the characters growing lack of independence.  The grey theme was well used throughout as each character faced their own personal whale.  Sound and lighting were used effectively with lapping waves and whale song again linking with the whale metaphor and I liked the colours reflecting on the one single window in Charlie’s apartment. 

Paul Turner-Johnson you and your cast have brought this story of obsession, guilt and self-imposed punishment to the stage leaving your audience incredibly moved and deeply affected by the story-telling.  The final emotional scene with strong overtures of Jean Val Jean in Les Misérables was incredibly moving.  Thank you for the lovely welcome and the opportunity to chat to Director Paul and the cast afterwards. You should all be incredibly proud of your achievements - a cathartic story that will resonate with the audience long after the curtain has closed.

 

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