BEATS at the King’s Head Theatre

★★★

“It’s an astonishing performance from Campbell, and Snell’s tracks complement it well”

This intense and intimate reimagining of Kieran Hurley’s 2012 play captures the appeal and vibe of ‘90s rave culture, while missing what makes it interesting now.

The concept of Beats is unusual – it’s a one man performance, by producer/director/performer Ned Campbell but is accompanied throughout by a live on-stage DJ (Tom Snell). The line between play, performance and gig is ripe to be blurred and played with. But the DJ fades increasingly into the background and is used more to build atmosphere.

The plot is simple. In suburban Scotland in 1994 Johnno McCreadie goes to his first rave, while his mother wrings her hands at home and a police officer battles with the wider political effects of his job.

There is a mesmeric quality to the lyrical prose mixed with the thudding, repetitive tracks. At times this bubbles the audience in with the performer, both caught up in the high of the music. Often though the mood is somnambulant, lulled into drowsiness by the rhythm of the piece.

Campbell effortlessly slips between multiple characters, often mid sentence. His startling grotesques are clear and well-realised. The piece is carefully calculated by him and co-Director Eloïse Poulton to make these character shifts stark and dramatic.

Hurley’s script does pose some provocative questions about rave culture and the dire effects of Thatcherism on these small Scottish communities. But all it succeeds in doing is nodding to the politics, hinting at something more interesting beyond the fairly predictable plot that is presented.

Alex Lewer’s lighting design is superb, and probably my favourite thing about this play. Slick character transitions are punctuated by lighting shifts and the rave comes alive with a smattering of colour and motion in the lights.

It’s an astonishing performance from Campbell, and Snell’s tracks complement it well. But the play itself lacks enough intrigue to remain compelling.

BEATS

★★★

King’s Head Theatre

BEATS at the King’s Head Theatre

★★★

“It’s an astonishing performance from Campbell, and Snell’s tracks complement it well”