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WHY MYRA'S STORY IS SO RELEVANT....

P. Smith
Aug 15, 2024
2 min read

WHY MYRA'S STORY IS SO RELEVANT

Take a handful of heartbreaking stories that we all go through - mix them up in time, shake them around and what do you have? A pic and mix of intense emotions - Immense grief, joy, relationships, humour and a will to survive. Myra is no different. Her story is gripping, sad, hopeful, funny and deeply moving.

As her story transpires, her family, time in care, her ultimate heartbreak and trauma - we see and hear her pain, resilience and sense of self as alcohol has ‘claimed’ her. The medicine that she would ‘sell her soul’ for.

Alone with just a bench for company Myra reminisces on her life, past and present, relating conversations, actions and interactions together creating a story telling arcade of feelings and colour which demand a reaction..

Myra is not there to be pitied or rescued but to share: we get to know the characters who have been significant in her life, how they move, talk and behave. We laugh and resonate, even though Myra is in a ‘living hell’ she can tell it how it is and the transformation from character to character with great emphasis on the ‘voice’ is admirable, startling and funny.

The ‘child’ Myra was featured throughout the show - we see and hear her fragile as she adapts to major childhood changes. On the edges of society Myra asks the audience for a few coins and does not shy away from what she wishes to purchase - there will be no hearty meal or a healthy fruit juice, this woman knows what her body seeks….

The relevance is that the ‘trigger factors’ are not going away any time soon - most of us know someone or have experienced some of Myra’s story. As she drinks her bottle we hear and see her becoming more intoxicated, quieter and reflective. The memories, it seems, help to keep her going in a life of grief, hardship and addiction and without this we experience Myra sombre, grim and face to face with this harsh reality which drives her to drink.

While watching and listening I found the show heartwarming and also sad but the most poignant moment towards the end, for me - was when it felt like her grief had reached a different level and she was alone with this. This is why I left the Assembly rooms with a good few tears, for this brave character which life usually turns away from.

Hello.