Tick Tock

A quiet build up of scary tension in four parts Thursday. Kirsty, wound tighter than a clock on a time bomb. Wait – that’s just what she is! The baby is crying and fussing, and Kirsty is tired. You don’t notice the signs of tiredness as much as the signs of tension at the breaking point. She’s calm on the surface and trying to show Tyrone she can handle it alone. But, all the while, tick tock.

He goes back to work but he’s worried about the baby and Kirsty. Kev doesn’t want him to take off for 10 minutes to check. They’ve got work to do. So Fiz and Sally go, with Tyrone’s reluctant agreement. He knows what the sight of Fiz will do to Ms. Nutbar and hopes Sally will alleviate Kirsty’s suspicions and animosity.

Doesn’t quite work that way. The tension that started in the audience, at least in me, at the first sight of tight, controlled Kirsty builds when Fiz and Sally come in. Fiz is wary and, given her druthers, would leave. But Sally blithely pushes her way in, oh we can help, we’ve been through it too, let’s put the kettle on.

“Get out!”

Kirsty stalking around the room, ready to pounce on them if they disturb the baby. She’s absolutely aghast when Sally just picks little Ruby up and cuddles her. Whew, she doesn’t attack Sally with talons out, snatching the baby back. Well, not quite immediately. She soon does, saying the baby (who is quiet as a mouse) needs changing. When Sally says she can change her and doesn’t hand Ruby back, Kirsty does take her and tells her visitors to get out. They do.

Next look in, the baby is fussing and Kirsty loses it. She pushes everything off the kitchen table. She picks up the baby’s mobile from in front of her little cot and throws it. Finally, she screams at the baby – what is it you want from me. But she doesn’t touch her, this time.

We come back to them as Kirsty is cleaning up the mess she made and Tyrone comes in. Thank heavens, I think. And he, despite his willingness to put up with Kirsty’s abuse of him, shows his fear of her behaviour and his absolute unwillingness to put his daughter at risk. He turns his back to Kirsty, with the baby in his arms, when she wants to take Ruby. Then he takes her to the medical clinic, just in case she is hurt. Good for you, Tyrone.

And good for you, Natalie Gumede. You created a wonderfully done portrait of violence and paranoia and danger. And building tension. Tick tock.