Reviews

Truckstop was written by Lot Vekemans and translated from the Dutch by Rina Vergano, although the setting remains on a rural lorry route off the tourist trail in the Netherlands.

Quiet please

It was a slightly surreal experience getting to this premiere involving a trip to the far side of the former Bentwaters airbase. The venue - the Hush House - turns out to be a small aircraft hangar with a curved roof which got its name because it was soundproofed for its role of testing jet engines.

Three sections of just over a hundred seats surround the performers and when the lights go down you soon forget you're in a building which was probably highly important at the height of the Cold War when the US Air Force were in east Suffolk.

It's a play where the conclusion is given away at the start and then the action unfolds until we come full circle and find out how we got there. It's a short play which clocks in at 75 minutes and is all the better for it. 

Dark forces at work

It has a sinister air at the start, as the young pair come into conflict with the girl's mother. Trucker Remco is portrayed as an uncertain man who seems to have thwarted ambitions. He dreams of owning his own truck but seems scared of change, scared of really trying to secure the loan he needs and ultimately scared of adventure.

He walks into the Truckstop and the owner's 18 year old daughter Katalijne is lovestruck, much to the horror of her mother. We suspect all is not what it seems with Katalijne and as she undergoes her sexual awakening, the battle between her mother and Remco unfolds, ultimately leading to tragedy.

It's a fascinating look at jealousy, illness, ambition, independence and family relationships. I won't give it away, but there's also a lot of 'back story' that we never find out about. 

Does Remco's boss Van Dijk have any relationship with Mother? Who was/is Katalijne's father - and is it possible she's a product of incestuous union.

Three star billing

While it's definitely a play where all three characters get equal billing, for me the stand out was Eugenia Caruso who plays Katalijne. She effectively gives the young girl a sense of naivety, awkwardness and sexual longing that explodes on several occasions in the play.

Adam Best (who was Matt Parker in Holby City) sticks with his native Irish accent, but plays the character's cards close to his chest so we're never really sure if his intentions towards Katalijne are honourable or exploitative.

Janet Bamford plays Mother who's maternal emotions are put through the ringer as her daughter rebels.

It's also a very simple yet effective set. It all takes place in the cafe except for a moment at the end where the counter doubles as the cab of a lorry.

Touring details

The Eastern Angles/Company of Angels production is heading off to The Zoo at the Edinburgh Festival for a month before touring the rest of the country including a return to Suffolk at the Sir John Mills Theatre in Ipswich in September. Box office 01473 211498 or click on the weblinks on the right for full touring details.

Award update (August 2007)

After the appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the two actresses have won an award.

Janet Bamford and Eugenia Caruso have jointly won The Stage Best Actress Award for Acting Excellence. The awards aim to recognise outstanding performances at the Festival - selected from a pool of around 350 productions.