Durham Fringe Festival 2024
Sonder
Wrong Tree Theatre Company
Genre: Verbatim Theatre
Venue: The Assembly Rooms Theatre, Durham
Festival: Durham Fringe Festival
Low Down
This is a play “about strangers, connection, community, hopes and fears. The stage is set in Durham, and the text is constructed solely from the verbatim words of five residents.”
Review
“Sonder” is an impressively well conceived executed verbatim theatre piece that offers a profound exploration of life and the human condition. Set against the backdrop of the city of Durham, beginning and, and regularly returning to a bus stop, the production features a young and capable cast of five who bring to life anecdotes, snippets, and vignettes through a series of conversations monologues taken verbatim from interviews with five people who live in the city. The use of a bus stop becomes a focal point where the individuals meet on common ground serveing as a central reference point, symbolizing the different perspectives of time, waiting, and interactions with strangers.
The production’s effective use of back-projected live film as a scenic backdrop enhances the atmosphere, while evocative music further immerses the audience in the narrative. The clever use of mimed props and chairs adds to the visual storytelling, making the minimalistic sets come alive with the experiences and stories of the characters. These elements are seamlessly integrated, with the cast working together harmoniously to ensure that the transitions and interactions feel natural and engaging. It is all very capably delivered and the actors step believably into thie characters. In places, heartbreaking, veins of comedy run through the stories of ordinary lives that become extraordinary when presented through verbatim theatre. The theatre here transforms these stories, presenting and representing the hopes, dreams, fears ans struggles of people like and unlike us.
The interviews that underpin “Sonder” were recorded in Durham, offering a unique consideration of living in this locale, whether as a native or someone who has settled there from other places, fleeing conflict or just looking for a better, more stable life. The piece delves into the tension between locals and other ethnic groups, reminiscent of the themes explored in Leo Walmsley’s book “Foreigners.” It questions whether we box ourselves in, both metaphorically and literally, through borders and barriers, brick walls, and societal constructs.
One of the standout themes in “Sonder” is the idea that ordinary people are ultimately both different and also joined by their shared humanity. This is encapsulated in the show’s title. The production portrays the untold stories of individuals, suggesting that these narratives are worth telling and that we can be enriched by the witnessing of them. The performances drew me in as well drawn characters came to life on the stage, sometimes addressing the audience directly, at other times in interaction with other.
The script, while immediate and impactful, occasionally feels a little too dense, suggesting that some further dramaturgy could help streamline the narrative for better clarity and engagement. The text in the film needed to be a bit bigger as some important information was hard to read, potentially detracting from the audience’s understanding. The film is also used sparingly and it isn’t clear what choices have been made here. Why do some scenes have film backdrop and not others. A little visual clarity is needed here.
Overall”Sonder” is indeed a special piece of theatre, a bold yet respectful production that successfully portrays the dimensions of happiness and self-realisation. It invites the audience to consider the specialness of ordinary people and the value of untold stories being shared. The piece succeeds in being relatable and engaging, leaving the audience enriched by the diverse narratives it presents. “Sonder” reminds us that in our differences, we find our common humanity.
