Review: Snatches: Moments from Women’s Lives

Snatches: Moments from Women’s Lives is a series of short monologues from women. It first aired on the BBC in 2018. Each monologue tells one woman’s story. Each is powerful and strongly delivered by 8 outstanding actors.

Each segment of Snatches: Moments from Women’s Lives was written by a different woman, and directed by either Vanessa Caswill, Rachna Suri, or Vicky Featherstone. Every single person working behind the camera was a woman.

I don’t know when I’ve ever found anything from television more perfectly suited to the focus and purpose of Old Ain’t Dead. Except I didn’t find it. @SylviaDrekisdóttir sent me a Twitter tip about it.

I’ll give you a quick rundown of the various moments from women’s lives. In each case, the actress sat or stood (or lay in bed) using only her voice, her eyes, and limited body movements to tell her story. Sets were minimal and suggestively symbolic, such as a woman-eating bed or a pair of boots on a table top.

Linda (Jodie Comer) worked in a cubical at a typewriter. She tells about finding herself and having her first orgasm in an episode called “Bovril Pam.”

In the near future of “Tipping Point” Leonie (Antonia Thomas) is hiding in a hospital from people angry because the birth of her child will tip the population of England from majority white to minority white.

Ann (Romola Garai) tells how as a young actress in “Compliance” she was molested in a hotel room by her male director with the help of his female secretary.

Ivy (Shirley Henderson), in “Pig Life,” likens her husband to a pig as he rapes her night after night. It was legal for a man to rape his wife in England until recently.

Jen (Siobhan Finneran) was in prison for murder in “Multiples.” She’d lost three babies to cot death and was blamed for it by ignorant doctors who misused math.

In “Pritilata” (Kiran Sonia Sawar) takes us back to 1930’s India to tell the story of Pritillata Waddedar, who campaigned for Bengali women to get the vote in Colonial India.

Jacqueline (Corinne Skinner-Carter) played a 90 year old celebrating her birthday in “Outside.” She talked about her days as a protestor and marcher as a protest raged outside her home.

Eve (Liv Hill) was only 19 years old in “Reclaim the Night.” She lived in Leeds where a serial killer forced a curfew on women being out past 9 PM. She argued sensibly that it should be men who couldn’t be out at night.

Each monologue worked well. They were all strong and based on real events. Romola Garai and Jodie Comer really impressed me, but there’s no need to pick a favorite when all 8 performances were so good.

You can see this short series on AMC+ and BBCAmerica.com.