Theatre
Sunrise
The Splendid, Valletta

One of the most grown-up things you can do after getting a mortgage is becoming a parent.

What 30-somethings find disheartening is that parenting does not necessarily mean you’re done with adulting. On the contrary, as Jessie Cave’s excellent one-woman show Sunrise proves, we’ve still got a lot of work to do for ourselves, trying to figure out how to handle the world, while guiding our own children along the way.

Directed by the excellent Chiara Hyzler, whose directorial hand has reaped nothing but successes, our home-grown version of Sunrise, featuring Rebecca Camilleri in an incredibly energetic performance which manages to combine the subtle nuances of poignant heartbreak post-break-up with the hilarity of juggling children, work and love-life as a single mum.

Sunrise is autobiographical and chronicles Cave’s real experiences at co-parenting with her ex, whom she readily calls a “nice guy”.

Camilleri was phenomenal in her energy, her timing and pace. It was 75 minutes of sheer showmanship and she owned it completely. The delivery of Cave’s sharp witticisms and observations about parenthood was a joy to hear – and was certainly entertaining because it was so very true.

Cave writes comedy well and has a raw edge to her reflections, which make it all the more credible and relatable. A one-hander of this sort benefits from the conversational style that Cave creates as she gives her persona a powerful, witty, often scathing voice, which manages to be raw and vulnerable at poignant moments.

Camilleri’s dynamic tonal shifts and her natural ease on stage helps her tell Cave’s story effectively as her connection with the audience is strong

The sala nobile at The Splendid was transformed into Cave’s messy, bright and child-oriented living room, where she invites the audience to meet her cast of characters from the start.

Camilleri’s dynamic tonal shifts and her natural ease on stage helps her tell Cave’s story effectively as her connection with the audience is strong. Hyzler’s direction was evident in the way in which the set, lighting and prop use played a significant role in the story’s development.

What Hyzler and Camilleri brought to this production of Sunrise is an authenticity which is hard to describe. It is true that Cave wrote the piece to perform in it herself but her onstage persona is so incredibly well-crafted, that given the right circumstances, the script can be made to work extremely well when interpreted by a strong lead.

Mourning a relationship that is no longer, while having to stay in touch with the father of her children, led Cave’s persona to experience hilarity and heartbreak as she comes to terms with the fact that her ex is seeing and sleeping with other people.

She attempts to rebuild her won love life and assert her independence, while juggling the terrible demands of toddlerhood. The persona’s self-deprecating humour is certainly an aspect that Camilleri managed to portray exceptionally well.

Sunrise is definitely not one to miss and has the restorative power of reminding us that there is good to be found in the ordinary and humour in the everyday.

Sunrise is being staged at The Splendid in Strait Street, Valletta, today, tomorrow and on Sunday at 7.30pm. An additional three performances are being held on February 27 at 6.30pm, February 28 and February 29 at 7.30pm.