There are some performances in this world that an actor gives that you know you will not be able to stop thinking about.
In her newest TV show called One Night written by the brilliant Emily Ballou, Jodie Whittaker has delivered a captivating, heart-wrenching performance that gripped me from start to finish.
One Night tells the story of three women, Simone (Nicole da Silva), Hat (Yael Stone) and Tess (Jodie Whittaker) whose bond was all but destroyed by the traumatic events of one night twenty years ago. It’s an absolute soul-crushing six-part story.
As someone who’s always been fascinated by the complex craft of acting and by how one person allows their humanity to shine through, I’ve been blown away by Jodie’s portrayal of Tess Owen.
She demands your attention and she gets it, you feel every emotion possible and the tools in how she uses her voice and accent as Tess navigates so many different worlds show how brilliantly she embodies the physical and psychological strength of her character.
It’s not an overstatement to say that I think her performance should be analysed as an example of how acting has the ability to completely wipe out your emotions as an audience because how she can do that is beyond me.
While her presence is an absolute force, it is strengthened by the raw performances of her co-stars Nicole da Silva (Simone) and Yael Stone (Hat) who have delivered more than their share of emotions.
From writing a book anonymously as a way to deal with past trauma to looking after her dad with dementia as well as struggling with alcohol and having meaningless sex to cope with her own history regarding sexual assault, Simone is a complex character. While she might not always know how to act when people around her are affected by the choices she makes, she cares deeply for her relationships with others.
Hat has a close friendship with Tess and Simone, and the social status she finds herself in as a lawyer adds an interesting layer to the story, especially in terms of jurisdiction. When her friends return, and when Hat finds out about the book Simone has written, her perspective is clouded with emotions and guilt as she tries to navigate how to make up for her past mistakes.
Nonetheless to say this is all intertwined with the stupendous work of Nicole and Yael, who understands the depth an actor can go in order to capture the essence and complexity of their characters.
Then comes the inevitable message which hits as hard. Whose right is it to tell someone else’s story? Who owns the rights to someone else’s memories?
Emily Ballou’s writing raises fundamental questions. It makes you think, it makes you see and look at things from different points of view which are all urgent and visceral. The way in which the story and the characters are depicted is still very rare to see and in a way, that’s what makes it all the more moving.
In my opinion, it is hands down one of the most beautiful and important pieces of media I have seen in a long time and one that I’ll cherish to bits.
Words: Candice Dupire
You can watch One Night on Paramount+ UK & Ireland and Paramount+ Australia now.
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