“Murdock’s writing shines for the majority of the show – it’s beautifully human and relatable”
It is always exciting when a play gives voice to a rarely heard story. This is one of them; exploring the difficulties of being a sibling carer. However, Dangerous Giant Animals is also the story of a play that sabotages its exceptional beginning and middle with a bafflingly smug ending.
We see Christina Murdock (who also wrote the play) travel through a series of snapshot journeys as Clare, who grew up having to care for her disabled sister, from ages seven to seventeen. The effects on Clare’s family life and education are tumultuous as she tries to balance providing adequate care for her sister, while also having to overcome her guilt for having to make choices that will benefit her life. Murdock’s performance is masterful, as she paints the world before her eyes with staggering clarity and simplicity, while still conveying the complexities of her situation. This is aided by the smart design of the set (Anna Lewis), sound (Nicola Chang), and lighting (David Doyle) that all layer on generous helpings of atmosphere and meaning without ever feeling intrusive.
Murdock’s writing shines for the majority of the show – it’s beautifully human and relatable, and consistently harnesses the drama in the domesticity of any situation. The middle of the show in particular features a string of breathless sequences featuring Clare on a heart-breaking car journey, and later trying to calm down her sister. However, directly following this, Dangerous Giant Animals undermines all the stellar work it had done thus far.
All momentum is ground to a halt as the play feels the need to directly address the audience, condescending them for assuming the plot was going in a particular direction (although given the script makes no prior allusion that this direction was a possibility, it’s a pretty baseless accusation). The show then congratulates itself on being smart and subversive, which feels totally misguided and is deeply disappointing to watch. In the space of a minute, Dangerous Giant Animals descends from having the audience in the palm of its hand to antagonising them for no logical reason. This was a huge misstep on the part of Murdock as well as co-directors Jessica Lazar and Adriana Moore, that consequently makes the remainder of the show simply feel pretentious and self-indulgent.
Dangerous Giant Animals is mostly a touching and insightful deep-dive into an important issue, that’s capped off by a frustrating end that vilifies its audience. I sincerely hope that alterations are made before the show transfers to the Tristan Bates Theatre that will bring a more consistent level of quality, and do justice to the story being told.
“The second act brings with it a level of energy and tension that you would not have guessed”
Finborough Theatre is currently playing host to the European premiere of Arthur Miller’s final play. Set in a hotel in Reno, Nevada, in 1960, we see the production team of a Hollywood movie in a state of turmoil over the indisposition of the troubled leading actress, Kitty, who is riddled with self-doubt and has turned to drugs to remedy her inner demons. As the team ponder over how best to deal with the situation, it becomes clear that the picture is in jeopardy and indeed may not be finished in time.
The play’s first act revolves around a series of debates about how to get Kitty fit for filming and save the picture. The ever-present issue of the objectification of women in the film industry is brought into play here, with cinematographer Terry (Patrick Bailey) making frequent, somewhat inappropriate, comments about her physical appearance, implying that this is what ultimately sells pictures. Kitty does not appear on stage which makes it all the more a case of her being treated as an object whose opinions aren’t considered. As noted by the play’s director Phil Willmott, “She is consistently treated as a problematic resource that needs to be brought into line, with no recognition that it is this which has driven her to new depths of drug dependency and despair”.
The second act brings with it a level of energy and tension that you would not have guessed would follow the arguably invariable nature of the first. When Kitty’s trusted acting coach Jerome Fassinger (Tony Wredden) is called in to try to get through to her, each character takes turns to visit her in her hotel room and, through a series of monologues, attempt to coax her into finishing filming.
Lighting (Rachel Sampley) and sound (Nicola Chang) are used exceptionally well during the second act. Throughout the delivery of the monologues, a high tempo, almost manic, jazz piece plays, conveying a sense of urgency. A dim spotlight frames the actors as their characters converse with Kitty. Both these design elements make for a tense, high-octane second act, where the desperation of the production team to get their star fit to perform is clear to see, even without the presence of an actress playing Kitty for them to address. The actors deliver their lines so well that it isn’t hard to imagine they are talking to the troubled star.
Full of fantastic performances from all actors, this play is a clear depiction of the harsh realities of a, on the surface, glamorous industry. It’s also not hard to draw parallels between the play’s content and playwright Arthur Miller’s own struggles with his wife of five years, the infamous Marilyn Monroe. Although we don’t see or hear an actress playing Kitty, empathy can definitely be felt for her thanks to the way she is spoken about and the pressure she must be under. In summary, Finishing the Picture is a thought-provoking, well-executed production of Arthur Miller’s swansong.
