A Tupperware of Ashes is a heartbreaking portrayal of the ravages of dementia. Queenie, a mother of three and a famous Bengali restauranteur, is diagnosed with the dreadful condition that will eventually strip her of her memories and her dignity, while her family strive to deal humanely and practically with her care. It is a distressing picture of what is an all too common experience for many families in Britain today. Meera Syal as Queenie puts in an award-worthy performance that painfully captures all the cruel stages of the decline, and it is often difficult to watch as she and her children come to terms with both her growing incapacity and their inability to deal with it. The cultural expectation that the family can, and should, look after their mother is shattered leaving a trail of guilt and misgivings that takes its toll on all. The family's unresolved emotional issues are also now left forever hanging. Elder son Raj will never understand why his mother sent him away after his father's death while his siblings stayed with her. As this son who always fails to meet parental expectations, Raj Bajaj puts in a particularly strong performance, with the tension between parent and child being played in a nicely restrained manner. Marc Elliott as the second son, Gopal, and Natalie Dew, as daughter Kamala, also ring completely true as they are forced to walk a line between compassion and practicality. As Queenie's best friend, Shobna Gulati puts in a suitably nuanced performance as she seeks to be loyal to her friend while simultaneously increasing the children's guilt over their inevitable choices. Zubin Varla as Ameet, Queenie's late husband, is absolutely convincing as the Tagore quoting love of her life, and the relationship between the two is sweetly affecting. Writer Tanika Gupta has created a wonderfully real group of characters whose behaviours ring completely true, and she presents their dilemma with a verisimilitude that is extraordinary. The only quibble we might have with her work is the construction of the piece, with the first act being dominated by the painful progression of Queenie's illness while the second act concentrates on the family dynamics – even having some humour like Raj's encounter with the government bureaucrat. Greater integration of these two aspects of the narrative might have given a more varied tone to Act I and made it obvious that the play is about more than a transcription of the progressive ravages of Queenie's disease. Full points to Pooja Ghai for her direction. It is wonderfully unobtrusive, and she draws some extraordinary performances from all of the cast, while Rosa Maggiora's set is wonderfully effective and evocative. A Tupperware of Ashes addresses a painful issue that affects so many families, and it does so with a sensitivity and realism that are beautifully captured in a first-rate production.
Rated: ★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Manuel Harlan
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