The Memory of Water (Ensemble) ★★★★

Written by Shelagh Stephenson. Ensemble Theatre. 20 Oct – 25 Nov, 2023.

The premise of Shelagh Stephenson’s The Memory of Water sounds like the set up to a farce. After the death of their mother Violet (Nicole Da Silva), three sisters converge on the family home for the funeral. They each deal with their grief in different ways. One hits the drugs, one is desperate for a shag, and one contemplates her own life and the choices she’s made. It’s a comedy that’ll make you cry.

The title comes from the concept that pure water retains a ‘memory’ of the substances that have been dissolved in it. It’s an idea one character instantly dismisses as nonsense. But as physical water assails the family home (from freezing snow, to the encroaching waves on the shore, and the lack of hot water for the bathtub), it is the memories of their mother that cause the most damage.

Teresa (Jo Dowling) nursed their mother through her Alzheimer’s disease, watching her memory fade. Mary (Michala Banas) blames their mother for sticking up for their absent father and teaching them the wrong life lessons. And the youngest, Catherine (Madeleine Jones), is convinced their mother hated her and has memories of abuses that may or may not have actually happened. Memory is a tricky, unreliable thing. What if their mother was none of those things?

Set entirely in Violet’s bedroom, the ghost of their late mother is everywhere, from the bright coloured decor (a frighteningly realistic set by Veronique Benett) to the closet full of outdated dresses. In her grief, Mary starts to have conversations with Violet as she remembers her from her childhood, in 60s make-up and clothing. 

Stephenson’s grasp of these characters and their dynamics is masterly. The three sisters have a real sense of organic history and weariness to them. Teresa and Mary have little time for Catherine’s extra dramas. Mary’s academic career is the cause of friction between herself and Teresa. The way they speak to one another gives us backstory without resorting to too much blatant exposition. Stephenson manages to weave in storylines with a pleasant subtlety that develops with ease till it reaches its climax. The humour comes from the foibles of people under pressure and it works, not because we laugh at the characters, but because we’re laughing at ourselves.

The whole play rests on the three actresses playing the core trio and Dowling, Banas and Jones are just brilliant. Over the course of the 2.5hrs they grieve, laugh, get drunk and rage at each other. Jones particularly stood out to me as Catherine, a self-obsessed, train-wreck of a young woman who is desperate to be loved (to be clear that sentence relates to the character, not the actress). Rachel Chant’s direction is strong, giving the play a good rhythm. The final image of the first act is what really hooked me in.

The Memory of Water may be 27 years old now, but the script is still sharp in its observations, and with this cast it flows perfectly. While it’s funny, you leave the theatre with a sense of melancholy and the hint of positive change. This is another strong show from Ensemble, who have had a good year all round, which makes me more excited for what they’re bringing in 2024.