Past Tense

by Emma Blundell
Directed by Nina Brazier
The Old Red Lion Theatre, London
June 21st - July 9th 2005


“Exploring the very different lives of five young women, this charming tale juxtaposes a thirties love affair between two girlfriends with the present lives of three female cousins.

The cousins - smug, pregnant Joanna (Susannah Coster), sensible, down-to-earth Claire (Victoria Meakin) and party girl Felicity (Sasha Hermann) - come together to clear the house of their deceased great aunt. The girls consider the spinster’s lonely existence, each one relating her story to their present problems and lives.

Little do they know that great aunt Carol, far from being alone, enjoyed a tempestuous love affair with decadent heiress Barbara that spanned many decades.

From the set draped in Monet-inspired canvases to the delightful script and compelling performances, this production oozes quality. Attention has been paid to the smallest detail, resulting in a very well rounded and thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Although all the cast are strong, Katie Russell is mesmerising as Carol the beautiful maiden aunt, displaying a stage presence that suggests hers is a name to watch for the future. Likewise Meakin is wonderfully understated in her portrayal of rational Claire.

And if any criticism can be made, it is perhaps that Sheeran Taafe slightly overplays the flamboyance of her character Barbara during initial scenes.

The costumes alone deserve a mention, with the company delivering a wealth of stylish period pieces detailing the changing fashions of the thirties and forties.

All told this is a story that covers all bases, it is sweet, endearing and intelligent, and most importantly by ending on an unanswered question, leaves the audience wanting more.”
- The Stage

“It is easy to dismiss old relatives as boring people with uninteresting lives.

But in her new play, Past Tense, Emma Blundell challenges her audience to re-assess their opinions of seemingly uninteresting family members.

The play flits between the present, where three cousins sort through their dead great aunt’s possessions, and the past, pre and post-war, where the great aunt has a love affair with her girlfriend Barbara. Emma Blundell builds up the complicated relationship between the three cousins, Joanna, Claire and Felicity, with her convincing dialogue.

Mixing humour with tension, the characters demonstrate their rivalries and insecurities.

Felicity, played by Sasha Hermann, is petulant and self-centred. Her behaviour is amusing, but also unnerving, as it veils the jealousy she feels towards her pregnant cousin Joanna (Susannah Coster), who seems to have the perfect family life. Joanna resents her younger cousin Felicity but it is not clear why until the second half of the play. Claire (Victoria Meakin) acts as the peacemaker between her bickering cousins.

As the play develops it becomes clear that the cousins know almost nothing about their great aunt.

The director, Nina Brazier, contrasts the cousins’ speculation about their great aunt’s life with the reality by using lighting to switch scene from the present to the past with the characters from both ages remaining on stage. Through the scenes with great aunt Carol (Katie Russell) and her lover Barbara (Sheeran Taaffe), the audience learns about the difficulties of lesbian relationships in the past.

It was frustrating to watch the cousins rooting through the possessions oblivious to the love that brightened up her life. But that is part of the success of Emma Blundell’s play; it highlights how easy it is to underestimate the people around us.”
- Camden New Journal