DICK
Drayton Arms
★★★
“The dialogue throughout is intricate and precise”
Oh, to be young and free. To have one’s whole life ahead of you. Well, all is not as it seems. Dick is a powerful immersion into the dangerous desires of youth and the burden of potential – the idea that you could be anything, but will you be something?
Five friends reach the age of 26 and become afraid that ‘their youth’ may be behind them. No, not afraid, rather obsessed. Despite their obvious youth, they feel an urgency to push the boundaries without any caution and with dangerous consequences. The show is an exploration of love, lust and the unexpected precariousness of self-indulgence.
We start with the friends dancing in a nightclub. The mood is euphoric and joyous. We quickly move to a heated discussion about their differing views on sex. This is where our central characters emerge. The protagonist of the show, Noah, is remarkably condescending and masquerades his ignorance as intelligence. He insists on being right and ensures he is by interrupting those who disagree and hides his insecurity by living in the hypothetical rather than reality. Joseph Lynch is very impressive in the role.
The others emerge in this debate too. Bailey is quieter but the fire within their soul is unmistakeable. Andi Bickers is an unstoppable force in the role. Ruby (Frederick Russell) is vibrant and vivacious and provides the necessary antidote to Noah. Our remaining two characters are Ruby’s sister, Cleo (Nina Fidderman), and friend River (Max Brennan), who allow us to see the story through other perspectives.
The dialogue throughout is intricate and precise, which allows us to see a range of angles on the key themes. However, it is slightly too detailed. Because of this it feels like the punchlines don’t always land, and in fact, it often feels like the most action is happening when there is the least talking.
Significant plot events are marked by live costume changes. This is a smart addition as otherwise the scene changes would be sudden and unobvious. Credit must go to Katie Shores (costume design) as this forms a critical driver of the plot. The friends start the show wearing bright clothes but move to more greyscale outfits as the scenes darken.
Initially, it seems that Noah will be our martyr for the cause of hedonism and soul-searching. Of course, he would like it to be him. “I would die if I thought I would get away with it,” he tells us. But the show is not just an exploration of one’s own path to self-destruction. It is a warning about the effects that one’s self-indulgence can have on others, who often end up with greater suffering. “You are addicted to poison, and it comes out of your mouth,” Bailey tells Noah. This is the punchline that the show does manage to land, and the production makes great use of audio (Polly Dacam) and visual effects (Harriet White) to do this.
The development of the characters of Noah, Ruby and Bailey is excellent. However, it feels like five characters may be too many for this story. Max Brennan and Nina Fidderman are exceptionally composed and accurate as River and Cleo respectively. However, we don’t see enough of them, and their performances deserve a greater part of the story. Moreover the show is too long, with the length not commensurate to the amount of plot that we watch.
However, the critical element of this show is not its shortfalls in areas of the drama. It is what it warns us about, the real experiences of young people and the dangers of over-indulgence.
DICK
Drayton Arms
Reviewed on 17th April 2025
by Luke Goscomb
Photography by Abigail Dawn
Previously reviewed at this venue:
SARAH QUAND MÊME | ★ | February 2024
