ARC is back with another thought-provoking and engaging production with Joanna Murray-Smith’s Rockabye. Directed by co-artistic producer Rob Kempson, Rockabye is as funny as it is challenging. Featuring a stellar cast and poignant design elements, Rockabye is truly an experience you’ll be talking about for days to come.

Rockabye is about an aging rock star Sidney Jones; she was somewhat popular in the 80’s but now (2009) she’s about to go broke, but she has a new album about to come out, and she desperately wants to have a baby. We encounter Sidney when the agency through which she’s going to adopt a child from Africa has come to her home in London for a visit. We meet the people Sidney spends her time with as well: her assistant Julia, her boy-toy Jolyon, her manager Alfie, and her housekeeper Esme. Each one has their own strong opinion about Sidney’s situation and whether or not they want her to have the baby. Though we’ll never know if Sidney ever gets to adopt the daughter she so badly craves, Rockabye brings up a lot of interesting questions about international adoption, a country’s agency in its own wellbeing, the experience of adopted children, as well as the pitfalls of celebrity itself.

Rockabye is a play of dichotomies: everything from the structure of the play to the design of the show leans into this desired world of binary thinking. The first act of the play is hilarious, fast paced, and witty, with ping-pong dialogue and laughs aplenty. The second act takes us to the darker and more emotional side of the play; there the main issues and questions are brought up, the characters attitudes shift and change, and it’s hard to leave thinking that any of them are actually happy. Ultimately, the characters finally seem to understand just how much of the world is the grey space in between the black and white rationales they currently cling to. Likewise, the play doesn’t give us the satisfaction of an ending; we have no clue if Sidney gets to adopt her daughter, or if Layla and Tobias will get together, or how long any of these characters are going to be able to continue with life as it currently stands. It’s a brilliant tactic, as the audience certainly goes into Act 2 having no clue what’s about to come next, and my partner and I spent the entire trip home discussing the themes and questions brought up by this play.

The design elements of the show truly embody the textual aesthetic. The pop art paintings of Deborah Drakeford as Sidney Jones were by far my favourite element of the set. The fact that they were real paintings but then could also have the lights shine through them for the transition effects was fabulous. However, there were two poses, and two different backgrounds to comprise the 4 paintings, like the two sides of Sidney we see in the show. The floor of the stage was in strips of black and white, and particularly at the end of the play, characters would only stand in one colour or the other when they had opposing viewpoints. Even Sidney’s jacket at the end of the production had one half with a woman’s face on it and one half was totally plain; a visual representation of the emptiness she feels without this other being in her life. Major Kudos to Jackie Chau and Jareth Li for their design work on this production.

Rockabye has a rockstar cast of performers bringing this story to life. Deborah Drakeford is spectacular as Sidney Jones; from the heights of diva-hood to the depths of despair, Drakeford does it all. Her grace and vivacity is unforgettable. Christopher Allen gives a passionate performance as Tobias Beresford. Allen’s stage presence is phenomenal, keeping your eyes on him at all times. Sergio Di Zio and Nabil Traboulsi are hysterical as Alfie and Jolyon. Their delightful performances of these rather seedy characters bring levity and, at times, some cringe to this ensemble. Kyra Harper’s Esme and Julie Lumsden’s Julia are perfect foils for one another, and the two actresses give stellar performances in their roles. Shauna Thompson’s Layla is a powerful woman, and Thompson certainly gives a dynamic performance to bring her to life. Rockabye tackles some very difficult issues, and the whole cast navigates them with a sincerity and intensity which makes this production so compelling.

Rockabye will definitely NOT put you to sleep; rather, it’ll leave you considering your own stances on the world and in what way do we all fall into the trap of binary thinking. Currently on Factory Theatre’s Main Stage until February 11th, you simply must go and see Rockabye. For more information and tickets, visit: https://arcstage.com/current-show/rockabye/

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Cover Photo: Deborah Drakeford and Sergio Di Zio. Photo by Sam Moffatt

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