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★★★★
Malorie Blackman’s novel ‘Pig Heart Boy’ has been adapted for the stage by Winsome Pinnock and is currently touring the UK and Ireland. Centring on 13-year old student Cameron Kelsey who is living with a heart condition and waiting for a transplant, the play follows the character’s unique experience receiving a heart from a pig. The storyline shines a light on the difficulty of being a young person with an illness and the complicated emotions that come with feeling different to your peers. It is sensitively written, looking at the lead up, aftermath and impact of the operation, and told predominantly from Cameron’s perspective. This week the show has been at the Marlowe Theatre here in Canterbury and I had the opportunity to share some thoughts on the production.
Visual design
Paul Wills’ set design and Andrew Exeter’s lighting takes inspiration from anatomy and the underlying theme of the heart runs through the visuals. Coloured lights dance across the stage, akin to arteries pumping blood around the body and they join up with small screens which could be mistaken for hospital scanning equipment. The screens are used to highlight significant changes in the narrative, specifically through rewind and fast forward symbols which carry the audience through flashbacks and present day sequences. These carefully crafted set pieces are supported by a backdrop of alternating hues, which evolves to reflect the tone of the dialogue and locations on stage. Overall I was transfixed by this highly symbolic approach to the design, which wholeheartedly proves that you don’t need complexity to produce a visually innovative piece of the theatre.
Maturity of the writing
Even though the material is aimed at children aged 9-12, I was impressed by how mature the writing is. Yes, there are some silly classroom moments and childlike interactions which at times appear a little exaggerated when played by adults, but these instances are limited. On the whole, the dialogue is really heartfelt and considerate. There were many occasions where I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the script and it left me feeling like young people could learn a lot from this highly relevant and topical play.
Final thoughts
‘Pig Heart Boy’ is a really thoughtful piece of theatre which is told in a reflective and personal way. The honesty of the emotions of the script makes it a really vital watch for young people. Watching the play has definitely made me want to go back and read Malorie Blackman’s original story. The show has now finished its run in Canterbury, but there is one final tour venue left. Tickets can be purchased via the show’s website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘Pig Heart Boy’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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