In this one-woman show, Alex Reynolds explores reconnecting with your family roots, the choices we make when we’re young, and the importance of adventure.
Alex’s granddad is from Albania, but he’s never wanted to go back and visit until he learns he’s dying; so Alex finds herself on a trip to Tirana, surrounded by a culture she doesn’t recognise as truly ‘hers’. Albania is described in rich, poetic language, so you almost feel like you’re in the taxi speeding through the capital far too quickly with an overly talkative drive or being served too much raki at a local restaurant.
The shift from six-year-old Alex’s adventures in the local forest to the partying teenager who doesn’t see eye to eye with her granddad anymore is very relatable. After all, boring history lessons on communist dictators don’t have anything to do with her family… Alex performs in front of plastic boxes containing her granddad’s possessions: a coffee grinder, a statue of national hero Skanderbeg, and the Koran he had to hide from the Hoxha regime. Gradually, Alex learns of her privilege compared to the hardships her grandparents had to endure that led them to England.
Albania is brought to life colourfully; Alex’s awe at the buzz of Tirana, the concrete reminders of the communist regime and the soaring mountains is palpable. There’s a twist in the tale that the audience didn’t expect, judging by their reaction; I left thinking about the stories we leave behind for descendants and why it’s important to keep history alive.
****
In The Land of Eagles is at Pleasance Baby Grand from 14-25 Aug.