Review: Wilt by Segments at the Spielman Theatre
New writing tackles the difficult and lifelong process of bereavement and grief
It’s not often you go to the theatre and feel you’re walking into a well thought-out experience before you’ve even hit the auditorium. Rose petals blanket the floor on the way in. The audience is handed a beautifully presented programme. It feels like you are getting an Order Of Service. So kudos to brand new Bristol theatre company Segments, for immersing the audience into the story before the lights hit the actors.
Formed of graduates from the Bristol School of Acting, Segments is part of the next generation of the city’s theatre makers. Against the financial odds of new theatre being produced in a harsh funding climate, it’s great to see brand new work hitting the stage despite the challenges.
Wilt, written by Jazz Summer, explores the process of grief when someone really close to you dies. It’s both authentic and real, based on the writer’s personal experiences.
We follow Nadia (India Erlam) and Elliot (Joe Northstone) upon their return from the funeral of Nadia’s dad. The pair have a close, loving relationship but the depths of grief to which Nadia plunges could tear them apart.
The same recordings of vox pops discussing grief start and end the show, emphasising that loss doesn’t get better with time. Although there is a known grieving process, ultimately, loss is something people learn to live with in different ways.
A closed petal rose in a vase becomes a fixation for misplaced guilt. Nadia tends to it with the care of a surgeon. The petals open. It wilts. It dies. The stress of caring for the one last living connection to a relative is real.
The natural relationship between Erlam and Northstone, their secure relationship and the giddy happiness in which they live makes the oncoming fall out all the more shocking. It pushes both actors to deliver, a challenge they meet head on.
There are plenty of humourous moments throughout, many surrounding the dynamics and quirks of each character.
But grief lingers between them like a dark cloud.
As objective observers, we can see how grief impacts on the behavior and communication issues of each. How the passing of time can grow from a quiet crisis to a deep depression. We see the same grief from different points of view. How it can make people behave. And though at times it’s shocking to see, death and grief in its rawest form right in front of you doesn’t get nearly enough stage time. This makes each piece of theatre to tackle it all the more important.
The incoming of Wilt at the Spielman Theatre of Tobacco Factory Theatres
There’s a sense throughout that something has been held back. It simmers under the surface. And then bang – it escalates fast in a glorious crescendo between the pair.
It’s good to see the writer sticking to their guns come the end. There’s no easy resolution to the story, which is satisfying in itself. Grief is a lifelong process with no quick fixes. Wilt doesn’t shy away from this and it’s a powerful ending.
The sound design and music is strong. Zena Ahmed provides recorded vocals for Dream a Little Dream of Me, a really fantastic rendition that she owns.
The set in the black box theatre is given additional depth with a drop cloth and Thomas Pitchers’ understated lighting.
Wilt is a piece of theatre that reflects back at ourselves. Those who have experienced bereavement will recognise their own journey within the story. It’s a cracking start for a brand new theatre company with early career creatives. Wilt is definitely one to see this week.
Take a look around the incoming for Wilt in our video below:
Wilt is on in the Spielman Theatre at Tobacco Factory Theatres until 26 April 2025
For more information or to book, visit: https://tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/wilt-2
Cast and Creatives
India Erlam – Nadia Blaese
Joe Northstone – Elliott Wells
Writer and Director – Jazz Summer
Assistant Director – Beck Watts
Stage Manager – Elizabeth Tattersall
Deputy Stage Manager – Ell East
Associate Producer – Scout Worsley
Sound Designer – Tom Smith
Lighting Designer – Thomas Pitchers
Featured Image – Beck Watts
Content devised by the company
For more information about Segments, https://linktr.ee/SegmentsCompany
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