SKELETON CREW at the Donmar Warehouse
โ โ โ โ
“a subtle and quiet portrayal of people who feel real and vivid”
Not a lot happens in this play but thatโs the crux of its genius. It elevates the everyday. Itโs about everything and nothing.
Written in 2014 and first performed in New York in 2016, Skeleton Crew follows four workers in a car manufacturing plant in Detroit. A foreman and three floor workers. As their jobs are threatened, the quiet day to day of their lives unravel, with each facing the uncertainty of their future.
Watching the steady and inevitable disintegration of this department sounds bleak. Somehow, itโs not. The humanity and quiet kindness in these characters gives the audience hope. As the story slowly unfurls, it remains compelling and strangely optimistic.
Dominique Morrisseauโs script is tight. Each line oozes with character. Dancing between philosophy and banter, the dialogue snaps and sizzles. And she knows when to hold back. Thereโs power in what isnโt said. Matthew Xia leans into that silence in his direction. There are moments of stillness, of pause. Watching people get ready for work, alone, tells you so much about them.
Many of these moments are not silent, just without dialogue. Nicola T Changโs carefully crafted sound design gives each character a soundtrack, quietly signalling whose story will be the focus of each scene. From Aretha to J Dilla, to the sound of the fridge whirring, this attention to detail makes the world, and the characters, feel more vibrant.
All of the performances are strong – especially from newcomer Branden Cook. However all eyes were glued to Pamela Nomvete in a remarkable performance as the jaded mother hen Faye.
Ultz was the showโs designer, and perhaps undelivered a little. The set was naturalistic – a break room – but each scene was intercut with the clanking of shadowy machinery, an illusion assisted by Ciarรกn Cunninghamโs lighting design. There was a moment of pyrotechnics, which was exciting, but felt a little out of place. For a designer with such an impressive track record, this isnโt Ultzโs best work.
Donโt come to this show expecting surprising plot twists, or a fresh political take. But come for the beauty in a subtle and quiet portrayal of people who feel real and vivid.
SKELETON CREW at the Donmar Warehouse
Reviewed on 6th July 2024
by Auriol Reddaway
Photography by Helen Murray
Previously reviewed at this venue:
THE HUMAN BODY | โ โ โ | February 2024
LOVE AND OTHER ACTS OF VIOLENCE | โ โ โ โ | October 2021
SKELETON CREW
SKELETON CREW
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