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 at the King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed on 19th April 2024

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Josh McClure

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BREEDING | ★★★★ | March 2024

TURNING THE SCREW | ★★★★ | February 2024

EXHIBITIONISTS | ★★ | January 2024

DIARY OF A GAY DISASTER | ★★★★ | July 2023

THE BLACK CAT | ★★★★★ | March 2023

THE MANNY | ★★★ | January 2023

FAME WHORE | ★★★ | October 2022

THE DROUGHT | ★★★ | September 2022

BRAWN | ★★ | August 2022

LA BOHÈME | ★★★½ | May 2022

BEATS

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★★½

“The play’s premise is a ripe and interesting one and a promising structure for a fringe piece”

Grief, love and storytelling: some of life’s pressure points. Peter Taylor’s play oscillated between all of these, glancing upon moments of sincerity and tenderness. But no one emotion or experience was sustained, leaving me sometimes engaged, but ultimately unresolved.

Lindsey Cross and Howard Horner performed with commitment and passion. Their personal portrayals of parallel experiences of the grief of the loss of a child were heartfelt and genuine. Letting my eyes wander around the Lion and Unicorn’s in-the-round black box, I saw some moved and connected audience members. What the play lacks in clarity and depth, the actors try and make up for with presentness in the space and trust in one another.

The characters’ monologues contain vast emotional journeys and, at points, I found the direction excessive. Having each emotion and thought played by a recreative action was often distracting, especially because the play seemed to be reaching towards both characters achieving a sense of consolidation with their grief. River in the Sky worked well in the round: the privacy of the couple’s situation being viewed from all vantage points, as they struggled to communicate. But their time together in dialogue lacked the physical or emotional knowledge or understanding between two people who are or who have ever been partners, despite the individual actors inhabiting their roles. This was down to a somewhat disparate script; and scenes which built and fell from climax to catharsis rather at random.

The play’s premise is a ripe and interesting one and a promising structure for a fringe piece. The technical elements served the play in its current form and made it cohesive. But each character needed more layers in order for the play to do justice to its vital themes.

Reviewed by Eloïse Poulton

BEATS at the King’s Head Theatre

★★★

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

BEATS at the King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed on 19th April 2024

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Josh McClure

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BEATS

BEATS

Lion and Unicorn Theatre

Reviewed – 29th May 2019

★★½

“The play’s premise is a ripe and interesting one and a promising structure for a fringe piece”

Grief, love and storytelling: some of life’s pressure points. Peter Taylor’s play oscillated between all of these, glancing upon moments of sincerity and tenderness. But no one emotion or experience was sustained, leaving me sometimes engaged, but ultimately unresolved.

The play’s premise is a ripe and interesting one and a promising structure for a fringe piece. The technical elements served the play in its current form and made it cohesive. But each character needed more layers in order for the play to do justice to its vital themes.

Reviewed by Eloïse Poulton

River in the Sky

Lion and Unicorn Theatre until 1st June

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: