Review: AGATHA, Theatre503

In today’s more progressive world, society still tells women the most fulfilling part of life is to have children. So often they’re told “give it a try” or “you’ll change your mind,” but Florence Howard’s debut play Agatha at Theatre503 boldly says sometimes women don’t want children, and that’s OK.

The 75-minute play runs at a brisk pace as it chronicles Aggy and Ben’s relationship: Their first date. Booking a holiday to Japan. Getting engaged. But when the subject of children arises, the couple’s tensions come to the surface. When Ben finds a baby scan in Aggy’s handbag, the consequences make them question whether their love for each other is enough.

Howard’s quippy script brings laughs and moments of affection between Aggy and Ben, but often leans into the black and white mindset when the topic of wanting children arises. He wants children, while she doesn’t. While the script tries flipping both sides of the coin exploring the reasons behind their choice from parental expectations to generational trauma, the two end up stuck in the same cycle for the next hour until the inevitable happens.

Carly Brownbridge’s monochrome set is striking, the black and white walls merging in chaotic splashes to capture the murkiness surrounding Agatha’s main topic. Colour is reserved for Brownbridge’s costumes, a splatter of blood red wine thrown on the wall in one pivotal scene and Chuma Emembolu’s technicolour lighting.

While the story can feel black and white, the performances are anything but. Florence Howard and Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge make Aggy and Ben’s love for each other believable as both come to the tragic realisation it isn’t enough to overcome their differing opinions. Any woman who’s been asked “why don’t you want kids?” will relate to Howard’s guarded performance as she becomes more conflicted between putting herself or her relationship first.

Blackwood-Cambridge (Holby City) is at first fun-loving and affectionate, but his stubbornness and obsession with rationalising Aggy’s decision can lead to him feeling like the villain towards the end. When Ben demands Aggy to “give having kids a try” and reacts to a climactic revelation with abusive undertones, the script feels set in how the audience is supposed to view him. Also making an appearance is Emily Mytton as Aggy’s estranged mother, Lena. While her final scene feels abrupt in the play’s pacing, Mytton still brings depth and emotion to a seemingly one dimensional monster as the only person who understands Aggy’s situation.

While I don’t feel Agatha explored its main topic with the depth it may have needed, Florence Howard still must be praised for raising the issue with guts. With strong performances from its three leads and striking visuals that empathise its themes, it’s still an important watch in today’s age for people who need reminding: sometimes people just don’t want kids.

Agatha is at Theatre503 until 15 July

Photo Credit: Marshall Stay

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