Review of ‘Miss Myrtle’s Garden’: “Never mind opening up to truth”

London’s Bush Theatre hosts the world premiere of this new drama exploring dementia, family bonds, and self-acceptance. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if its coverage of such memorable subjects comes across as mental.

They say that nobody is truly gone as long as they live through our memories. But what happens when it’s the memories of ourselves that fade away as we keep living? Dementia is no stranger to any of us. Everyone, in some way or another, is not just familiar with the notion — but also with the experience, which seizes our closest circles without offering any truce.

Taking the high road from the stalled flavour of its last show (a play dealing with car lessons could only lead to a crash), the Bush Theatre changes scene from the dullness of a basement room filled with speed-drivers (and slow-moving narratives) to the warm coziness of a London suburb backyard. Miss Myrtle’s Garden sowed its seeds on the venue’s stage last week — where it’s bound to be planted until the middle of July.

Written by novice dramaturg and former screenwriter Danny James King, the show introduces us to an old Caribbean-born lady haunted by the memories of her deceased husband. Things take a harsher turn when the line between reality and her imagination begins to evaporate — as her grandson, who has just moved into the top floor of her house, struggles to tell her the truth about the relationship he and his roommate have.

The conflict is all served. And the opportunities for a touching, meaningful jaunt are abundant enough to spare. Regrettably, the author seems oblivious to the fact that one can’t achieve poignancy by just mentioning an idea — you need to work it through. And though its premise might entice audiences, the script leaves no grounds for soulfulness, introspection, and plot development to blossom.

As much as we can appreciate the landscape, we can’t be compelled by how green the topics it tries to tackle are. All the characters come off as very archetypical — showing no signs of individuality and, on the whole, incapable of projecting too much insightfulness. Beyond the occasional fondness that an elderly lady relishing in her past moments of happiness might generate in us, there’s no actual pathos to be captivated by at any point of the recount.

The dialogue functions moderately well in terms of flow, but the story advances in such a shallow way that every attempt to pull from the heart’s strings ends up severing all ties with it. Nothing ever comes across as genuine — not because of a lack of plausibility but of personal essence. The gay relationship and its overly predictable outcome land almost as a caricature — ticking all the boxes of what the hardships of coming out to your relatives are supposed to be like but proving very little knowledge of what it entails.

The performances are still able to make up for part of the script’s shortages — though not all of them contribute to that effect. The cast exudes some level of chemistry. Yet, that doesn’t come off as enough for the connection and intimacy Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (playing the lead’s grandson, Rudy) and Elander Moore (as his boyfriend, Jason) should be oozing — also, empty of the layering and depth that the path they walk along together requires.

Diveen Henry makes a refreshing exception in the title role, nonetheless. Exuding charm and a strong presence throughout, her rendition of the decaying Miss Myrtle excels through its piercing credibility and extreme likability. It’s barely impossible not to fall for the down-to-earth pizzazz of the interpretation — but much to her detriment, the script doesn’t provide much support by matching any of that brilliance.

Echoing a stirring concept, though unable to present more than a re-collection of cliches through its futile exploration, Miss Myrtle’s Garden makes a mindful effort as for its intention. However, the scarce gravitas of the material turns the whole endeavor into a rather forgettable evening. Blank in many key aspects, the piece wrongly aims to strike profundity by presenting us with the roughly scratched casings of its themes. Consequently, its loss is greater than the one it wants to portray.

Miss Myrtle’s Garden plays at London’s Bush Theatre until 12 July. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara