The Covid Diaries 50: Almeida Theatre, Nine Lessons and Carols

A review of Nine Lessons and Carols, a new work currently on at the Almeida Theatre. In which I find that for once the focus on human connection results in a genuine connection with the audience.

Finding Ways to Stay Connected In Our Isolation

The preoccupation of 2020, aside from coronavirus, US elections. Brexit and everything else that’s going on, has been human connection. Or maybe a better way to phrase it is that the preoccupation of playwrights and other creatives has been human connection. It’s not surprising given the ‘unprecedented times’ we are living in/through, that we are thinking about what unites or separates us. And theatre is a way for us to explore these emotions outside of our own thought processes. I’ve seen a few of the results of these creative explorations of the idea of connection now. The magical tale of c-o-n-t-a-c-t wasn’t quite to my taste. Petrichor was interesting but maybe a bit gimmicky in its use of virtual reality. Nine Lessons and Carols: stories for a long winter at the Almeida Theatre is the first new work about connection that has really spoken to me.

The premise of Nine Lessons and Carols is fairly straightforward. Six actors play a variety of characters in short vignettes. There is a bit of a thread that runs through the stories, but really they’re just about the experiences that we have all had this year in one way or another. There is also a musical element: all of the actors join in the singing, with two standout contributions from Maimuna Memon and Katie Brayben. The action opens with a voiceover by Annie Firbank who sets the scene remotely, before the cast take over. Changes of light or sound effects mark the breaks between scenes. Some characters are in more than one of the vignettes, while others are seen only once. So it’s straightforward as I said, but quite effective in presenting a range of experiences that speak to our common humanity.

Can You Be More Specific? What Is Nine Lessons And Carols Really About?

Well, it starts with a myth or fable about loneliness, and how humans are not solitary creatures. The majority of the subsequent vignettes are completely contemporary, and extremely relatable. There are light-hearted references like baking banana bread; or advertising executives coming up with 2020-appropriate Christmas ads. But a lot of the topics are more serious: Black Lives Matter protests; family and relationship breakdown; depression; and of course illness and death. The serious side comes to predominate as the piece progresses, until a return to the fable near the end brings the proceedings full circle. Chris Bush’s writing ensures that even the most painful scenes are relatable, and often have moments of humour and wit.

My favourite scenes were those which were slow burns. There is the man who has found a dog in a park – the deeper meaning only becomes apparent towards the end of his scene. Or the woman who leaves her partner in search of freedom. She is picturing the open desert, but makes it as far as an abandoned allotment. Or the story arc about a young couple at odds on their approach to the BLM protests, which develops over a couple of appearances.

Whether we have been in these precise situations, I think any audience member can relate to feeling trapped or hopeless; worrying about friends and family; finding distractions to take their minds off things; and reevaluating what is important. What Nine Lessons and Carols told me, at least, is that it’s ok. It’s ok to have found it hard. It’s ok not to have all the answers. It’s ok to feel angry or upset about things that have happened this year. Ultimately, we are all in it together and we will get through somehow.

Final Thoughts

One thing which will be interesting will be to see which pieces of new writing in 2020 survive the test of time. Nine Lessons and Carols is quite beautiful, but so specific to the here and now that I don’t know if it will be something that can be re-staged. I don’t know how much that matters though. In my opinion, it’s a wonderful thing to see right now for those who have the opportunity. I truly felt like I was part of a shared experience, which is something that I haven’t always had in the other things I have seen since March.

And if anyone is wondering, the title is a reference to a Christmas Eve church service. Introduced in the 19th Century, it was a way to attract a wide audience to services by combining popular Christmas music with Bible readings. The Almeida’s take in Nine Lessons and Carols: stories for a long winter takes inspiration from this format without being bound by it too closely. The mix of acting and music is unlike anything else I have seen recently, though, and so was very welcome.

Lastly, visiting the Almeida to see Nine Lessons and Carols is almost seamless in terms of their Covid measures. There is a friendly welcome followed by a temperature check, and a drinks service to your well spaced out seat, which as I’ve mentioned before is one of my favourite silver linings of 2020. Perfect.

On its own merits: 4/5
Implementing Covid measures: 4.5/5

Nine Lessons and Carols until 9 January [Edit: now cancelled due to lockdown]