Furious Mattress is loosely based on the events that led to the death of a 49 year old woman in January 1993 after her husband, and three other members of a breakaway Lutheran sect, performed an exorcism at the couple’s home at Antwerp, near Horsham.
Madness, demonic possession, mariticide, fanaticism, and brutality; Melissa Reeves takes on all of these themes in her exploration of this extraordinary story. She freely borrows from a grab bag of theatrical techniques to bring it to life: naturalism (set, costume, dialogue), surrealism (dancing mattresses, strobe lights, giant rats), with a dash of satire (literal bible bashing).
While religious fundamentalism hovers over the narrative and provides for some of its comic relief, the story Reeves is really interested in is a kind of macabre re telling of the Taming of the Shrew. But this time the obedient wife is a corpse.
Reeves’ characterisation of Else (Kate Kendell) – the murdered woman – channels Rochester’s mad wife Bertha and Madam Bovary in equal parts. Her husband Pierce (Robert Menzies), is presented as a hapless fellow whose libido is challenged by the ‘voracious’ needs of his frustrated wife (rather than the parsimonious, religious manic he was reputedly in real life).
Then there’re the exorcists. Max (Thomas Wright), the novice exorcist who swaggers into the Second Act, and Anna (Rita Kalnejais), who’s there from when the curtain opens. Anna is not as devout as you’d expect a god fearing exorcist to be, she swoons/ succumbs to Max’s overt sexuality. Reeves’ characters are either up for it, or running from it.
In a clumsy attempt to reclaim the narrative space for her heroine/ victim, Reeves allows Else a momentary reprise (one that was certainly not granted her in real life). Her vagina comes to life as a giant rat who “fucks” the exorcist, before ultimately succumbing to her fate. I’m not sure what Reeves gains from this gesture, other than to create a space for a few theatrical gimmicks.
If it all sounds a little confusing, it was. If it seems a little unresolved, it was. Reeves certainly poses some interesting questions, the problem is the characters are too sketchy, the plot too contrived to make much sense of it all. I can’t help thinking that an extraordinary story was lost in the telling.
FURIOUS MATTRESS
BY MELISSA REEVES
DIRECTOR TIM MADDOCK
SET & COSTUME DESIGNER ANNA CORDINGLEY
LIGHTING DESIGNER PAUL JACKSON
COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER
JETHRO WOODWARD
DRAMATURGE MARYANNE LYNCH
BESEN FAMILY ARTIST PROGRAM
(LIGHTING DESIGN): KATIE SFETKIDIS
WITH
RITA KALNEJAIS, KATE KENDALL, ROBERT MENZIES, THOMAS WRIGHT
BECKETT THEATRE AT THE C.U.B. MALTHOUSE
FEBRUARY 19 – MARCH 13
Running Time 2 hrs 10 min including interval
