The Idiot Colony produced by the Redcape Theatre Company performed at the Gulbenkian Theatre on the 7th of October explores the pasts and the emotions experienced by three institutionalized women. It explores the relationships of these three and leads to a rather grim eventuality.The opening of the play sets the scene through the entrance of the three women with there hair drawn across their faces. The image is used to create a sense of dehumanisation and leaves these women with no identity. It detaches them from the world and therefore leaves the audience with the knowledge of these womens status. What is also noticeable is their uniformity through costume. Their wh ...view middle of the document...
Her sharp and snappy tone emphasises the way in which she looks down upon this patient and almost sees her as a lower form of life. One of the more powerful and emotional relationships created was the one between the mother and her child. The tragic story of this young girl and her rape then the birth of her child due to this rape is an incredibly saddening scene. The use of the towel to represent the baby suggests a sense of tenderness and weakness. The ease at which the towel is ripped away from her suggests the premature motherhood that has taken place. Her childish attitude and tone are due to the fact she has not been allowed to grow up. Her traumatic experiences from childhood have encapsulated her mind in a state of childishness. This is shown through the constant pouting and childish language used throughout. Her wide eyed facial expressions exaggerated this eternal immaturity. Also the withdrawn gestures used create the idea that she has suffered in the past. She keeps her hands to herself and always bows her head in a shy manner to exaggerate that trauma.The three women actually become quite close through the hair salon in which they work. This relationship can be seen when in the bed scene. Joy offers comfort to the character in distress by holding her hand in a reassuring manner. This is not normal behaviour of minds that are supposedly incapable of thinking in a sane way and inept of ratio...
