Tag Archives: Alex Walton

THE BOX

★★★

White Bear Theatre

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THE BOX at the White Bear Theatre

★★★

“a good watchable show, with some interesting themes to explore”

Brian Coyle’s ‘The Box’ follows Tom (Martin Edwards) and Kate (Sarah Lawrie), a couple with a mysterious box in their lounge. How are the box and the pair connected? That’s one of the occasional mysteries to discover in the play. In the beginning, it’s unknown who they are to each other; they role play, each making up new back stories – which the other tends not to approve of. Slowly the nature of them being a couple is revealed. It becomes clear they’ve both shared a trauma which neither is comfortable being truthful about. The resolution to their cycle of lies is what follows.

From the start I sensed the actors were holding back. There’s several movement heavy moments that dictated transitions, in which I felt they were holding a lot of tension and could’ve given a lot more. Perhaps this came from nerves or not feeling free enough to push further and take more risks. What’s interesting about this is that the play opened with Tom and Kate role playing – and when they did, their characters felt so much more open and free. Perhaps this was a choice to show how they’ve become so uncomfortable with each other that they need another identity to relax. If this was Jonathan Woolf’s direction, however, I do not think it carried through and instead came off as stiff. Both actors, however, had beautiful moments of comedy which did succeed in charming the audience.

The sound (Simon Beyer) consisted of piano accompaniment in transitions and places where the dramatic intention of the scenes changed. This grated on me as it felt like the music was trying to prescribe what I was supposed to be feeling. Especially when there was no dialogue. Instead of silence that the actors could’ve used to create an atmosphere, we were told that there was a certain atmosphere. This was a shame as it took away from the couple’s uncomfortable pauses. In one scene towards the end, however, silence was allowed when the two reluctantly spoke of their love for each other. Here the beats were perfect and believable.

The set is minimal but detailed: the box taking centre stage, a shelf with a wine bottle and several glasses, a chair, a clothing rail with six dresses – all the same, in three different colours. I inferred this as trying to imply a potential mental health disorder – particularly given the dresses – which read well, and was subtle enough as to not be stereotypical. If this was the case, however, I wish that could have been explored more throughout. The costume included many bright and warm colours, contrasting the play’s heavy themes – as if it were part of the couple trying to pretend everything is ‘normal’ and masking their dark sides. Again, I appreciated the subtlety of this suggestion.

The content was interesting enough and did keep me wanting to know more about what’s really going on with the characters. Yet, I feel it’s a story and relationship dynamic I’ve seen many times before. Again, without giving too much away, I watch a lot of Detective TV shows and the main families, parents and couples all share this same struggle where one party doesn’t truly know the other since a shared trauma, and as a result they’re broken. Except here there is no mystery to unfold in action, it’s just the audience trying to guess what on Earth is up with the box.

Overall, a good watchable show, with some interesting themes to explore, but it did leave me unsatisfied and yearning for ten times more.

 


THE BOX at the White Bear Theatre

Reviewed on 24th July 2024

by David Robinson

Photography by Alex Walton

 


 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

JUST STOP EXTINCTION REBELLION | ★★★ | February 2024
I FOUND MY HORN | ★★★★ | February 2023
THE MIDNIGHT SNACK | ★★★ | December 2022
THE SILENT WOMAN | ★★★★ | April 2022
US | ★★★★ | February 2022
MARLOWE’S FATE | ★★★ | November 2021

THE BOX

THE BOX

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From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads – 3 Stars

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Ibiza

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads

Jacksons Lane

Reviewed – 7th March 2018

★★★

“Walton captivates the audience throughout in an energetic and versatile performance”

 

The title of this play, which has been doing the rounds for a couple of years now, lifted from the lyrics of David Bowie’s ‘Life On Mars’ is inevitably going to attract the attention of his fans. Incorporating the spectre of such a revered musical icon is quite a risk. Writer Adrian Berry does well, then, to pull the focus away from Bowie and concentrate on the effect he has on a young man. However, you can’t get away from the fact that the majority of the audience would have been drawn to this show by the association.

“From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads” is the story of Martin, a troubled teenager on the cusp of his eighteenth birthday. He lives with his alcoholic mother, his father having walked out on them sixteen years earlier. Suffering from pretty much every emotional disorder in the textbook, his obsession with the music of David Bowie is matched by his longing to see his father again. For his birthday his mother gives him an envelope from his father, which she has held for him since he was a baby. Inside is a map and a set of instructions written by his father that propel him onto a life-changing journey.

It is Alex Walton’s performance that defines this play. Walton captivates the audience throughout in an energetic and versatile performance, sometimes slipping effortlessly into the characters he meets on his journey. As Martin, he doesn’t sidestep the issues of personality disorder and alienation but uses them to flesh out his character in a totally endearing fashion, making fun of society’s “lazy” interpretations of mental illness. Walton’s skills as a raconteur do away with any need for a set. The picture he paints with words alone is as visible to the audience as any big budget backdrop.

Adrian Berry’s writing is sharp, and reminiscent of an early Conor McPherson, in particular ‘Rum and Vodka’. Berry shares his attention to detail and we are accordingly drawn into the story. Part of the fun of the piece, too, is spotting the song titles and lyrics cleverly woven into the text, sometimes almost imperceptibly. And references to Philip Larkin and even more hidden pointers to ‘The Elephant Man’ or Alan Yentob, for example, show that Berry knows his stuff.

The decision to include the voice of Rob Newman is unnecessary. Yes, Newman gives a fair impersonation of David Bowie, but these intermittent voiceovers do little to enhance the narrative and provide little insight. One could also extend this argument to question the ‘Bowie’ focus entirely. This is not a criticism; the piece could easily stand up on its own as a touching portrait of a young man’s journey to find his father, his fraught relationships with his mother and his dealings with a sometimes hostile society. Moments of comedy segue into moments of trauma. The final scene, despite being somewhat unresolved, is tender and affecting and Walton’s performance tugs at the heart. That’s when you realise that the character’s obsession with Bowie is a mere subplot.

The show is in danger of being a victim of its selling point. Those who go to see this as a homage to David Bowie will be disappointed, but if you’re after a compelling and intense portrait of a ‘kooky’ teenager then this is the show for you.

 

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Ben Hopper

 


From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads

Jacksons Lane until 10th March

 

 

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