Proof: A Review
Reviewed by Miriam Rozas
On Monday 6th April, a trip to the Barron Theatre at the Byre offered a welcome break from Reading Week, with STAAT’s production of Proof. Directed by Lila Patterson, the play was relocated from Chicago to Glasgow, putting us (almost) right at home. Though the central plot was about proving academic ownership of a revolutionary mathematical proof, this was one part of a much larger story of grief, mental health, ambition and family.
Maeve Murray led a fantastic cast as the volatile Catherine, who anchors the four characters while grieving her father’s death. Murray was magnetic in her grief, marrying juvenile dismissal with a desperate grasp for control. While this showcased her emotional range, her timidness at times sacrificed the clarity of her lines.
Caitlin Conway as Claire offered relief by cutting through the mathematical jargon, bringing a mature security which matched her professional exterior. She harnessed a gently overbearing concern that hardened into something more stern and protective. Conway’s vulnerability throughout was unchanging, layering impatience and despair on a foundation of sisterly anxiety. Her performance was effortless and charming, inviting sympathy for the least obviously troubled member of the family. It was the first performance of Conway’s that I have seen, and I look forward to seeing more.
Patterson’s costume design was effective in its distinction between the sisters – Cathy’s twisted towel and smudged makeup contrasted Claire’s pinned hair and smooth trench coat. Swain’s nerdy Hal was often surgically attached to a functional backpack or its contents.
As Hal, Swain shone in the romantic exchanges with Murray’s initially disinterested Cathy, extending an awkward hand — armed with a beer bottle or drumstick – that was eventually accepted. Together, they navigated a dynamic of curiosity, lust and distrust with a youthful ease that was endearing to watch.
Aubrey McCance’s Robert entered first as a gentle ghost, offering light-hearted assurances to his daughter about their sanity. The charm in McCance’s performance warmed the room whenever he was onstage. Driven and insistent, but starkly vulnerable, Robert was caught between insanity and genius, innovation and helplessness. His sincerity breathed life (ironically) into a discussion of Robert’s hopeful return to work in the chill of a Glaswegian winter.
For a play about mathematics, the four exhibited fantastic chemistry and enhanced each other’s performances. As well as the shifty uncertainty of Cathy and Hal’s relationship, Murray and McCance played a father and daughter that shared an enchanting understanding of how the other’s mental “mechanics” work, emotionally and mathematically – though the two are rarely distinguished.
This contrasted my favourite dynamic, that of Claire and Cathy, who laughed, snapped and grieved together in perfect sibling disharmony. Only sisters could sling such piercing slights at each other and still recover, just to do it all over again.
It works because their care for one another is obvious, and the pair pulled it off with grace, summoning gasps and knowing laughs from anyone who had stood on their own version of that cosy porch.
The set was undoubtedly homey, made up of piles of books and magazines, gentle fairy lights, side tables and a sofa laden with blankets. Even the clunky and stubborn Byre set door accustomed itself to the gentle atmosphere of a family home. This cosiness was crucial to understanding Cathy’s attachment to the family home, beyond its association with her father.
Unfortunately, the lighting design was hit and miss. There were moments of effective colour contrast – blue with warm gold, the specks of fairy lights against purple, a shock of white. However, some choices felt antithetical to the natural flow of the show and subtracted from the realism in the actors’ performances.
Watching Proof, I found myself about as connected to mathematics as a humanities student possibly could be. Held up by warmth and solemn care, the cast and crew deserve credit for delivering such a heartwarming show.
If you’ll allow me some minimal and clueless maths talk: Carry the one and check the numbers: subtracting a little time in blackout, Proof’s components added up to be an earnest joy.
Photo credit: Kritvi Gupta
