'What's going on' in the National theatre? Trouble in Mind, 29/01/2022

I was supposed to see the play "The visit" in 2020 with Lesley Manville and I was really looking forward to it - only I couldn't, because - unfortunately - it was cancelled for an obvious reason: the Covid. During the pandemic, I subscribed to a National theatre Youtube channel, where I could see really good plays (to mention a few: Angels in America, Medea, Julie, Cat on the Hot Tin Roof, All about Eve and more). Yes, I know - the online streaming is not 'the real thing', but under the circumstances, it was the only choice and it gave me an opportunity to tune up for some good theatre. But yesterday - finally - I went there personally to see a play called Trouble in mind, written by Alice Childress.

Although it was and early afternoon performance, I was pleased to see people pouring in. It is always exciting when the theatre is full and people are chatting and buzzing with the glass of wine or prosecco in their hands. You feel like you're going to see something what theatre-lovers will talk about later, that you'll be part of something special. But I have to say that my first "personal" experience in the National theatre (it was performed in Dorfman theatre to be precise) was a little bit disappointing. Not because they were not good actors, on the contrary - I understand the cast was (as the critics pointed out) quite excellent, but the acting was a bit exaggerated and not real (and one critic Arifa Akbar mentions that very exaggeration as well in her review ) ... or maybe it was just not 'my cup-of-tea'.

It was certainly a play which 'fell on the good ground' nowadays because it was dealing with the racist problems (in America in the mid 50s) and it made several points about the stereotype roles and opportunities given (or not given) to the actors of black origin in that time or even about the struggles and points of views of actors and directors of 'white' origin. Although the cast was good and very appropriate - the leading role of Wiletta Mayer was portrayed by Tanya Moodie, the exaggerated southern-American accent as well as the acting (the gestures and expressions) and singing was sometimes all too much and obscuring the 'real drama' (the point), which only really emerged when the actors finally tuned down (and forgot about their exaggerated accent) in the last act (last 30-40min) .