“I love cornflakes and carpet and it certainly matched the narrative”
Arriving at The Old Red Lion I knew little of the two stories on the bill other than a brief description of each central character; an isolated writer and an insomniac.
The stage was littered with papers, a “full” sleeping bag, a radio and cups of wine. Bulbs hung from the rig and two men stood upstage wearing skull masks, one with his trousers round his ankles. A fun image, one that initially led me to think I was in for a night of sketch comedy.
The first of the tales, “Every Breath You Take”, is predominantly a one woman show, a tough ask for any actor, particularly with the range that horror demands you display. Ruby Sevink-Johnston seemed to grow more comfortable with her character Sam, as her discomfort grew, so I’ll be interested to see those establishing movements of the piece really Hammer-horrored home with further direction and development.
The second offering to the cult (sorry, audience) was “The Sandman”. Overall my preferred of the two, if simply because the premise was one I haven’t experienced before. As the two actors (Cuthbert and Emma Whitworth) enrich the well-crafted story with brilliant vocal imagery, artefacts are passed round the audience in the dark. I love cornflakes and carpet and it certainly matched the narrative, but I wanted more touchy things. It was a sensory experience to an extent, but moving forward I hope they can increase the tangible aids, and saliently get them to every audience member as close to the verbal reference as possible.
What would help in both plays, is for a clear decision on what genres the shows wish to be or straddle. As a fan of comedy and horror comedy, I think the comedy element could be explored further as there are some gems in there already.
Would I be interested in seeing this work progressed – yes. If the intent is a “jump scare”, there is work to be done. Overall, I thought the structure of the night was strong. Having hosts was an excellent feature, and I am keen to see more from Danse Macabre as they find their niche.
An early outing with some strong elements, and a team willing to work hard to develop, so keep your eyes open … unless they tell you to keep them closed.
“moments of light, sound and movement punctuate the changes of scene, mesmerising the audience”
In its first revival since 2003, Abi Morgan’s play ‘Tiny Dynamite’ is an echo of the original production but with a twist. Ten years after a traumatic event, which sends two childhood friends down very different paths, their annual summer holiday together is the scenario for confronting what has left them incapable of moving on and the secret of their dependency.
In this production, David Loumgair, who shows himself to be an exciting and innovative director, changes the gender of Lucien to a woman, Luce. This works well with Luce showing platonic concern and responsibility for her life-long friend Anthony. Both Eva-Jane Willis and Niall Bishop hold the audience’s attention as the layers of their story are peeled away by the appearance of Madeleine, played by Tanya Fear, the catalyst who sparks their buried feelings. However, the stated contrast between the two friends is belied by the character writing. The overly talkative nature of Anthony comes across well but the quietness of Luce is undermined by, quite simply, the number of lines she has, as well as the similarly placid Madeleine. But Luce’s ordered, conventional shell finally cracks in the most moving scene of the play, revealing the relationship’s true balance. Anthony, hit by lightning at the age of six, struggles with the internal static of his emotions and this creates his own hidden turmoil, cleverly enhanced by special effects.
The set by Anna Reid resembles that of the 2003 staging at the Lyric, Hammersmith – wooden decking surrounded by a moat of water, marooning the characters in their triangular relationship. Added to the beautifully economical handling of props, the use of water on stage is refreshing, although the moat could be used to more advantage. The minimalist music (Dan Jeffries) is in keeping with the set and subtly dresses the scenes, only once or twice becoming a distraction. Bare lightbulbs hang above the stage as an aesthetic presence and integral effect (lighting by Zoe Spurr). Coordinated moments of light, sound and movement (Natasha Harrison, Movement Director) punctuate the changes of scene, mesmerising the audience.
Since writing ‘Tiny Dynamite’ Abi Morgan has gone on to have a successful career writing for film and television, genres she says she feels more comfortable with. Here she infuses an underlying discomfort rather than the tension needed to capture an audience from the start. The concept of the title – tiny things sparking off huge reactions – is not altogether coherent and in the end the play is about knowing when to take responsibility for our actions and when to leave things to fate.
Despite some thematic inconsistency ‘Tiny Dynamite’ Is brilliantly executed with fine performances and artistic flair.
