Review: The Confessions, National Theatre

Painting an elaborate portrait of one Australian woman's life, this production is drawn from playwright Alexander Zeldin's mother's true testimonies unearthed by her son throughout lockdown. Opening with the line ‘I am not interesting’ from the older version of our central character Alice, one can just imagine the type of mother figure Zeldin is quoting.

Rattling through a selection of memories Alice is revisiting as she recounts her life to her son, Eryn Jean Norvill delivers a stunning and touching performance as the central character. Often a ghostly presence watching the memories unfold, Amelda Brown is a harder, older version of Alice. The story follows Alice through her youth in Australia, her subdued experiences being used and dismissed as a woman, and her travels to the UK where she finds her second husband and settles down.