Fringe 2023 Maureen House of Oz August 13th Review
Maureen at House of Oz (King’s Hall) is one show that everyone should have on their “go to” list for this year’s Fringe, as not only is this one man/woman show from Jonny Hawkins a delight to watch, but Maureen is a delight to be in the company of, but don’t ever tell Maureen that.
There are many things that make this show special, but the most noticeable is the script that Jonny Hawkins has written for Maureen. Clearly, here is someone who loves words, loves the almost magical life that they can have in their own right and knows what wonderful stories and characters they can create if you just treat them properly. Jonny is also clearly a watcher of people and life and those little moments in it that all too many of us let pass us by without even noticing that they have ever been there at all.
Maureen is not a biography of any one person, but there is a real Maureen and there are elements of her weaving in and out of this story; however, the Maureen of this story is a composite of many wonderful people that Jonny Hawkins has met in his life, many different people who have told him their stories, and their stories are now Maureen’s to share with us all in this show.
Watching Jonny change personalities and become another person on stage is wonderful to watch and his attention to the detail and the body language of Maureen, a woman of very strong opinions who is not afraid to share those opinions with anyone (whether they want to hear them or not) who knows that her journey in this life is at some time soon coming to an end to begin a new one, who knows where, is a pleasure to watch. Jonny clearly has much affection and love for the real Maureen and the persona of Maureen that he inhabits for his time on stage here.
With great skill both as a writer and a performer, Jonny draws us not into the little micro world that is now Maureen’s flat but also brings to life the many people that she has loved and lost in her long life - and of course her cat.
If we are all honest, we all know, or have known a Maureen in our life and although they may often shock us with their words and actions, we still love them for their honesty, their humanity and when needed their friendship and their kindness.
This is what I call “no hiding place theatre” and this show once again proves that all great theatre needs is a very basic set, a wonderful script and a performer who can bring the words and the people in that script alive on stage for the time they are there.
Review by Tom King © 2023
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
There are many things that make this show special, but the most noticeable is the script that Jonny Hawkins has written for Maureen. Clearly, here is someone who loves words, loves the almost magical life that they can have in their own right and knows what wonderful stories and characters they can create if you just treat them properly. Jonny is also clearly a watcher of people and life and those little moments in it that all too many of us let pass us by without even noticing that they have ever been there at all.
Maureen is not a biography of any one person, but there is a real Maureen and there are elements of her weaving in and out of this story; however, the Maureen of this story is a composite of many wonderful people that Jonny Hawkins has met in his life, many different people who have told him their stories, and their stories are now Maureen’s to share with us all in this show.
Watching Jonny change personalities and become another person on stage is wonderful to watch and his attention to the detail and the body language of Maureen, a woman of very strong opinions who is not afraid to share those opinions with anyone (whether they want to hear them or not) who knows that her journey in this life is at some time soon coming to an end to begin a new one, who knows where, is a pleasure to watch. Jonny clearly has much affection and love for the real Maureen and the persona of Maureen that he inhabits for his time on stage here.
With great skill both as a writer and a performer, Jonny draws us not into the little micro world that is now Maureen’s flat but also brings to life the many people that she has loved and lost in her long life - and of course her cat.
If we are all honest, we all know, or have known a Maureen in our life and although they may often shock us with their words and actions, we still love them for their honesty, their humanity and when needed their friendship and their kindness.
This is what I call “no hiding place theatre” and this show once again proves that all great theatre needs is a very basic set, a wonderful script and a performer who can bring the words and the people in that script alive on stage for the time they are there.
Review by Tom King © 2023
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com