How do you want to be remembered when you die? Are the words on your gravestone all that define you?
Philomena McGuiness – played by Jasmin Gleeson – tells the story of her life as a nurse during World War II. As a young Irish girl, Philomena travels to where she is needed to tend to wounded soldiers, meeting other Irish women as she goes. She expresses her absolute hatred of her situation and indifference to war victories due to the horrors that persist in hospitals. Ultimately, Philomena wants to show how she is much more than just a nurse.
As you’d expect from the title, her nursing journey has smatterings of poetry throughout. She tries to redefine her legacy as one of the great poets. This blend of fiction and poetry has great potential and writer Josh King does well in executing this premise. While I found myself wishing for a little more poetry and even more of Philomena’s story, I did enjoy the insightful aspects. The final declaration from Philomena – to define your own life – was very impactful, leaving me moved.
Gleeson’s performance was compelling: from acting giddy and naive to traumatised and shedding real tears, Gleeson balances a wide range of emotions. Unfortunately, she did not provide much variation during the show. Even when performing other characters along the way, I didn’t feel there was a big enough difference in portrayal. Nonetheless, I was still intrigued by each character.
While I’d say Philomena McGuiness’ life was not particularly unique, she represents many women that served during the Second World War. Continuing to discuss these awful events is crucial in preventing similar circumstances in the future: this performance remains relevant to learn from. Discussing the life of women like McGuiness highlights that no matter what is going on in the world, and no matter how other people define you as, you are who you want to be.
This play is for those who love to discover the past and perhaps want to discover something within themselves. The Poetical Life of Philomena McGuiness will satiate any desire to connect with everyday people in history.
The Poetical Life of Philomena McGuiness is running until 29 August (excluding 23) at Theatre 3 at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall. Buy tickets here.
Image by Mann Bros Media, provided for press use.
