THEATRE
My Friend Selma
Platform, Easterhouse, Glasgow
Mary Brennan
FOUR STARS
In the closing moments of this Terra Incognita production,Victoria Beesley reveals how Selma’s story isn’t just a true one, but one which Beesley shares in even to this day – all thanks to the determined humanity of her father and his mission to help refugees fleeing the embattled former Yugoslavia.
Back in those early 1990’s, little Selma’s life revolved around her best friend Esther, her ginger cat, her devoutly Muslim Grandmother and (albeit a little impatiently) the younger sister whose bad health needed hospital treatment. We access this close-knit world solely through Selma’s eyes and thoughts – Beesley has, to a T, the seven year old’s colourful turn of phrase, her confident tone of voice, the naively self-centred perspective that reflects a sense of unperturbed security.
It all comes apart at the seams when war engulfs Selma’s homeland of Bosnia. The causes are, of course, meaningless to the child, but the effects leave an indelible impression: frantic journeys, soldiers with guns, trying not to cry because she’d left everything behind, including her cat. When Selma and her family reach the UK, Beesley becomes integral to the tale. If there’s a bitter-sweet humour to how Selma adjusts to refugee status, there’s no missing the hurt she feels as an outsider – or the healing power of her friendship with the 8 year old, equally mischievous, Vicky. A moveable metal climbing frame, occasional back projection and Beesley’s own palpable bond with the material fill an otherwise bare stage with a child’s experiences of adult-inflicted war and the unexpected kindness of strangers. Absorbing, affecting but also robustly unsentimental – a poignant reminder that there are Selmas everywhere, in need of friends.
Touring details at www.myfriendselma.com
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