Ockham’s Razor: a stunning display of physical prowess in Tess

Ockham’s Razor: Tess
at the Corn Exchange, Newbury
on Tuesday, March 18

Review by AMY TRIGWELL-JONES

It's not often you go to the theatre, and you are presented with such a beautiful visual treat as I was when I saw Ockham Razor's Tess, at the Corn Exchange, Newbury. A stunning display of physical prowess and rich and raw story telling. A retelling of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles but done with such inventiveness.

It is a tragic story of a poor young woman from a rural English family who is seduced and abandoned by the wealthy Alec d’Urberville. After suffering further hardship, Tess falls in love with a man called Angel Clare, but her past resurfaces, leading to further hardship and misfortune. The story explores themes of social class, innocence, guilt and fate, portraying the harsh realities faced by women in Victorian society.

It makes us consider the journey that women have had to take to get to where we are in society today, much improved, perhaps. However, the gas lighting Tess suffers still exists, as we continue to fight for equality and safety considering the #MeToo movement of 2020, the ongoing gender pay gap and lack of research into women’s health. Not to mention those countries and cultures that routinely oppress women, and perhaps most recently, in light of the rising concerns of online misogyny, highlighted in the Netflix hit Adolescence.

Hardy was known for his deep understanding of the plight of Victorian women, he explored their struggles and societal constraints usually portraying strong, complex and sympathetic female characters.

The visual spectacle of this show was its greatest strength. An absolute delight of circus skills, physical theatre, acrobatics and dance. The performers were slick and strong with their constant flow of movement and actions, an incredible amount of talent amongst them. The music score complemented the piece at every stage and layered it with a dreamlike quality.

The set was used with such ingenuity, a playground for the performers to showcase their physical strength and skills, the wooden planks they used continuously transforming the space creating, beds, tables, rivers, and hillsides on journeys.

So many images and visual snapshots stick in my mind, like at the end when Tess performs some aerial dance work from a rope, an incredibly tragic and poignant moment, a definite sign of a memorable and deeply moving piece of theatre.