SMOKE at Southwark Playhouse Borough
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βThe physical reality of the production doesnβt match the stinging quality of the words.β
The publicity copy, and writer Kim Daviesβ programme notes, make much of βSmokeβ being an adaptation of August Strindbergβs βMiss Julieβ. There are similarities. The charactersβ names β and, more tenuously, their background. Julie (Meaghan Martin) is the daughter of a successful artist, never seen but the constant references to him serve as a reminder of his power. And thereβs John (Oli Higginson); a dogsbody at the artistβs beck and call with an obsequious ambition to achieve the latterβs recognition. We are in a kitchen too, albeit a symbolic one.
Yet βSmokeβ impresses as a stand-alone piece in its own right. The shackles that bind it to Strindbergβs original both detract and confuse. The setting and the themes of Daviesβ writing β writing which is undeniably sharp β are smudged by expectation and the inevitable but thwarted search for comparison.
Sami Fendallβs design suggests the kitchen with an upturned fridge in a pit of black sand. Polina Kalinina and JΓΊlia Levaiβs staging makes much use of the sand, stretching its symbolism to breaking point. It is continually being sifted through the hands. It is the eponymous smoke, it is cigarette ash, it is the blunt edge of a knife that will never cut as deep as words. It is foreplay, and afterplay. It becomes limited by its own variations, and therefore a clichΓ©. But back to the kitchen, which is where we find Julie and John. Always in the kitchen at parties, this party being a BDSM party in New York City. John is introducing Julie to the world of bondage, dominance, submission and sadomasochism. It evolves into a game that is not just cutthroat but involves other parts of the anatomy. Verbally graphic, it delves into the subjects of sexual identity, consent and assault.
The performances are as strong as they get. Higginson has a steely charisma that allows him to give his character the credibility it needs, overcoming his status with confidant dominance. Martinβs Julie is no less fierce β her submissiveness snapping intermittently to outrage. Rajiv Pattaniβs staccato lighting cleverly shifts the changes of perspective at crucial moments. The play sets out to challenge the notions of consent and, in the wake of #metoo, is pertinent. Some brave choices have been made but a paradoxical backlash of the changing times that are being celebrated is that the danger is presented in too safe an environment. An intimacy director is credited in the programme but, either because their job was done too well or because they were not really needed, there is little onstage chemistry β dangerous or otherwise β between the two. The physical reality of the production doesnβt match the stinging quality of the words.
Perhaps it is a deliberate avoidance to take sides, but we are never quite sure what the piece is trying to say. Julieβs question βDo you want to fuck me?β goes some way towards epitomising the predicament. She is offended if the answer is βyesβ and offended if it is βnoβ. John is damned whatever his answer. As the play progresses the dilemmas darken considerably, yet the confusion remains. Perhaps there are no answers. Perhaps there is still much to be learnt. The BDSM setting seems to be a convenient backdrop to Daviesβ drama, just as Strindberg is a starting point. But both seem superfluous. βSmokeβ tackles important issues without breaking any real ground, allowing a certain pretentiousness to get in the way. Despite the heated and powerful performances, it shows that sometimes there is smoke without fire.
Reviewed on 3rd February 2023
by Jonathan Evans
Photography by Lucy Hayes
Previously reviewed at this venue:
The Woods | β β β | March 2022
Anyone Can Whistle | β β β β | April 2022
I Know I Know I Know | β β β β | April 2022
The Lion | β β β | May 2022
Evelyn | β β β | June 2022
Tasting Notes | β β | July 2022
Doctor Faustus | β β β β β | September 2022
The Prince | β β β | September 2022
Whoβs Holiday! | β β β | December 2022
Hamlet | β β β | January 2023
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