“Weeds don’t exist. They’re just flowers someone else has decided shouldn’t be there”
Filling the theatre with intense emotions, Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew written by Coral Wylie and directed by Debbie Hannan explored the journey to self-expression, identity, grief and the value of life and love.
Following their university drop out, 19-year-old Pip (Coral Wylie) is aiming to discover their authentic self. The discovery of a fashionable, 80s jacket in the attic, inspires Pip to find themself through gardening and to piece together the hidden memories of their parent’s late friend, Duncan.
Wylie’s evocative writing is accompanied by the faultless acting of the cast. Every monologue delivered integrated the feelings of the past and present and exemplified every hidden struggle and secret. Lorin (Pooky Quesnel), Pip’s mother, on the surface is a happily married woman however, she feels pressurised to be the foundation in her distant household. From supporting Pip’s identity as a being non-binary, “black and queer with [their] whole body”, Lorin aims to keep her family together, although she is falling apart. Craig (Wil Johnson), Pip’s father, finds it harder to adjust to the changes within his home and tends to his garden instead of facing the truth, choosing to isolate himself instead.
“Everything is born from something dying”
The loss of their dear friend Duncan (Omari Douglas), sends Craig and Lorin into a spiral in which the masking of their pain and loss, causes their memories of him to fade away. Evenings of sitting by the window together, laughing and sharing secrets as time goes by. Years of learning and growing with each other, as the trees they planted transition as well. Every reminder of him fades away and these memories slowly start to die. Duncan’s presence radiated throughout the theatre, his outgoing personality is contrasted with his vulnerability as he finds his peace within gardening, not allowing himself to be overcome by anything.
Despite Duncan not defining himself by his struggles, Craig finds it hard to face reality, slowly allowing Duncan to purely become a memory. A heartfelt conversation with Pip, allows him to truly recognise his emotions he held so deeply inside, questioning why his best friend didn’t come back and why he ever had to go. Wylie’s emotional script resonated with the audience, leaving everyone with tears, as Craig faced the “crushing reality that the world is going to keep turning”, but through Pip, he opens his eyes and puts together the pieces of him that were lost.
The production was truly impeccable, Max Johns used his set to reveal the past and present and bring life to the household with the adaptable walls. The open stage was decorated with a table and chairs and adjustable drawers on the walls that withheld the memories of the past. Accompanied by Johns, Dan Yeo’s botanical designs illuminated the stage and brought Duncan’s dreams of a botanical garden to life in which every weed, vine, flower and tree was not overlooked. Its beauty was captured perfectly, the garden was a place of free expression – all Pip and Duncan hoped for.
Who knew that a jacket and a diary from the past, could redefine the future?
NEED TO KNOW: Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew plays at Bush Theatre until 22 Mar 2025
