Matthew Zajac stars in this self-written one-man play depicting the trials and tribulations of his own father throughout his escape from Poland during World War II. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the piece, to let us know if this intimate recount dealing with a couturier’s haunting past needs any patching up.
Every story has been told. And yet, none of them are ever the same. An existence founded on the rubble of a broken past is sadly the cornerstone of the last century, with so many paths cut down too soon by the fickle will of war. Almost a hundred years after one of the most shameful atrocities in humankind darkened the face of Western Europe for all posterity, the bonds to that harrowing episode that ended the lives of over 6 million people keep showing their strength. We’re connected to their grief, their fear, the permanent haunting that coarsens the souls of whoever went through the nightmare that others created. And in the most exceptionally meaningful of cases, to the people who gazed upon that inferno with their own very eyes.
Let me tell you a tale… A nice, homey recount of anecdotes is always a charming treat of entertainment. This, however, is not the case. There’s nothing charming about coping with bellicose times in a continuous struggle fir survival. The Tailor of Inverness makes that notion clear: the world can be, and is in fact, an obscure place. It shows no mercy to those who offer kindness. And it rewards those who seek destruction. Yet, the tables may be turned for those who prove their resilience – though, sometimes, only halfway through.
Written and performed by Matthew Zajac, the play is, to a very high extent, a first-person look into the events that we’ve only been able to hear about. Based on his own father’s background, this one-man piece takes us through the trials and tribulations of a Polish immigrant later naturalized as British – and the terrible ordeals he had to undergo until his life was back on tracks, though forever deviated from the one he, just like anybody else, would have liked to have.
Performed with electrifying stamina, Zajac manages to construct an inviting, sympathetic character exuding several layers of realism, but unfortunately these ones are not further supported by anything else than what turns out to be a bit of incohesive and somehow unfinished recount. Crafted as a time-jumping narrative combining the dire chapters of his youth with the scarred aftermath of his present, the piece offers an honest, accurate depiction of the excruciating torment his everyday was turned to. But as much as all the events it describes are heart-wrenching, none of them is able to touch it with too strong a grip.
Though offering a piercing, detailed picture of the reality it intends to bring about, the script relies too much on exposition, telling us occurrences which, though both historical and personal to the protagonist, fail to provide too much of a story arc apart from his exhile and estrangement with his motherland. Wistfully, most of the possibilities for its universality are pretty much ignored – taking us through a breathtaking trip around Europe, but not paying that much heed to the inner journey the character is supposed to carry out along with his audience.
In any case, some of the montage’s elements are still admirable – starting with Ali MacLaurin’s evocative and somehow symbolic set design (though a more flexible approach that didn’t rely that much on projections would have enhanced its visual power) and Jonny Hardie’s exquisite live violin rendition for the show’s underscore – providing the account with cinematic sentiment, while also endowing it with poetic flair and melodious intimacy. In addition, Zajac excels through his forceful presence and consequent magnetism onstage, though there’s still a lack of subtlety and evolution which would have allowed his personage to actually soar beyond the page and become genuine.
A tale of pungent distress, blunt loss and unbalanced gain, The Tailor of Inverness reconstructs the burnt memories of a torn period through the racked voice of a man’s recollections, but finds difficulty in translating those efforts into an emotional ride its viewers can experience along. A more thoughtful, profound analysis of the lead’s progress, apart from a more engaging, easier-to-follow narrative style would most possibly help shape up the material, and let it turn into a more poignant, memorable jaunt that surpasses its, so far, rather too anecdotal zest. It’s a rough statement of crudeness. But even so, every ingredient needs to be cooked.
All pictures credit to Tim Morozzo.
The Tailor of Inverness plays at London’s Finborough Theatre until 8 June. Tickets are available on the following link.