Tag Archives: Brian Coyle

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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Timeless – 3 Stars

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Timeless

Timeless

Theatre N16

Reviewed – 1st October 2018

★★★

“informative and thoughtful, but not emotionally resonant”

 

“You have a problem” reads a message in Martin’s phone in Timeless. It goes on to describe how he suffers from anterograde amnesia – a condition preventing him from creating new short-term memories and rendering him unable to remember anything past April 2008. This is the central idea of Brian Coyle’s one-man play; however, it never feels like it’s expanded on meaningfully throughout its one-hour runtime.

Martin largely addresses the audience about how his life works with the condition and how his family and friends – specifically his wife Tracey and his friend Neil – cope with the day to day strains of a man for whom the last ten years are a blank, although there are also brief flashbacks interspersed. There is an underlying story that develops, centred around Martin and Tracey’s relationship, but it is so clearly foreshadowed within the first twenty minutes that it becomes repetitive to see it play out exactly as expected. However, Timeless mostly forgoes a standard plot in favour of ruminations on memory, and how if the way an event is remembered or misremembered defines someone’s actions, then Martin not being able to remember anything possibly leaves him without a real sense of identity. This is where the script shines the most, as some psychologically complex ideas are delivered in an accessible and charming way.

John Rayment delivers an excellent performance as Martin, frequently elevating the material and providing an endearing earnestness to the character. It’s a testament to Rayment’s talent that, practically on his own except for a few props in the minimalistic set, he keeps the audience consistently enamoured. However, this is occasionally discordant with what we learn about Martin as the play develops, and it would’ve been a more layered performance had Rayment and director Charlotte Peters found moments to coax out the less earnest sides of the character. Additionally, there were a number of moments where Martin perpetuates outdated gender roles such as by demanding his wife make him a cup of tea, which felt unnecessary when not utilised to make a point about these issues.

And within that lies the main structural issue of Timeless – it was difficult to understand why this story was being told. Anterograde amnesia isn’t a common condition, and the play seemed unwilling to place it in the wider context of a more relatable issue, which subsequently made it informative and thoughtful, but not emotionally resonant. With further drafts from Brian Coyle that are able to let the audience empathise more, and with perhaps additional actors that let us see Martin’s relationships play out dynamically, Timeless has a lot of potential that currently feels hazy and distant.

 

Reviewed by Tom Francis

Photography courtesy Mixed Up Theatre 

 


Timeless

Theatre N16 until 4th October

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:
Unicorn | ★★★½ | May 2018
Shakespeare’s Mad Women | ★★★★ | June 2018
Reading Gaol | ★★★½ | July 2018
Castles Palaces Castles | ★★ | September 2018
Rough | ★★ | September 2018

 

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