Graceland is nothing its name implies (nope, nothing about Elvis here). It is a raw, grueling, timelapse of a broken relationship that holds the viewer hostage through every up and its many, many downs.
Graceland shares many similarities to an earlier production, Elephant, at the Bush Theatre. While Elephant focused more on how society and culture can strain a relationship, Graceland is more about how an abusive and toxic relationship can manifest in ways that are all too familiar for those who have been in one. The play’s relatability is its biggest strength and weakness; its impact depends on whether you’ve been in a similar relationship. That’s not to say that it has nothing to offer if you haven’t been a victim of one, but it’s evident that writer Ava Wong Davies is trying to tap into a particular trauma.
The entire performance is delivered via monologue by a single character (another similarity shared with Elephant), Nina, performed by Sabrina Wu. Her partner addressed as “You” throughout most of the play (his name is revealed at the end), never appears. The writing isn’t bad, but midway through, I found myself asking: “Why is this a performance?” It felt like I was listening to an audiobook while watching a woman roll around in dirt. That’s another thing, the dirt. There is a little visual storytelling with Nina surrounded by dirt and a frameless bed. The filthier Nina becomes mirrors the deteriorating nature of her relationship. It’s a bit on the nose. The unusual orientation of the stage, where at any moment Nina could have her back turned towards half of the audience, can make it difficult to focus, and when your entire story is told as a monologue, you can’t afford to lose the audience’s attention. Additionally, Nina’s recollection goes back in forth in time, the shifts marked by violins and warmer or cooler colors illuminating the stage. I honestly couldn’t tell if this lack of cohesiveness was even intentional. Was it trying to say that Nina is an unreliable narrator? Or did I not pay enough attention?
There is a lot of ambition in Graceland’s dark twist on romance, but ambition can only go so far. Its story hinges on your ability to catch the many hints of its doomed future before the climax. There is a broader discussion to be had on the power dynamics between Nina, her partner, and even the intergenerational trauma within her family. But with a runtime of just 75 minutes, there isn’t enough time for that conversation.
2/5
