Tag Archives: The Box

THE BOX

★★★

White Bear Theatre

Reviews, , , , , , , ,

THE BOX at the White Bear Theatre

★★★

“a good watchable show, with some interesting themes to explore”

Brian Coyle’s ‘The Box’ follows Tom (Martin Edwards) and Kate (Sarah Lawrie), a couple with a mysterious box in their lounge. How are the box and the pair connected? That’s one of the occasional mysteries to discover in the play. In the beginning, it’s unknown who they are to each other; they role play, each making up new back stories – which the other tends not to approve of. Slowly the nature of them being a couple is revealed. It becomes clear they’ve both shared a trauma which neither is comfortable being truthful about. The resolution to their cycle of lies is what follows.

From the start I sensed the actors were holding back. There’s several movement heavy moments that dictated transitions, in which I felt they were holding a lot of tension and could’ve given a lot more. Perhaps this came from nerves or not feeling free enough to push further and take more risks. What’s interesting about this is that the play opened with Tom and Kate role playing – and when they did, their characters felt so much more open and free. Perhaps this was a choice to show how they’ve become so uncomfortable with each other that they need another identity to relax. If this was Jonathan Woolf’s direction, however, I do not think it carried through and instead came off as stiff. Both actors, however, had beautiful moments of comedy which did succeed in charming the audience.

The sound (Simon Beyer) consisted of piano accompaniment in transitions and places where the dramatic intention of the scenes changed. This grated on me as it felt like the music was trying to prescribe what I was supposed to be feeling. Especially when there was no dialogue. Instead of silence that the actors could’ve used to create an atmosphere, we were told that there was a certain atmosphere. This was a shame as it took away from the couple’s uncomfortable pauses. In one scene towards the end, however, silence was allowed when the two reluctantly spoke of their love for each other. Here the beats were perfect and believable.

The set is minimal but detailed: the box taking centre stage, a shelf with a wine bottle and several glasses, a chair, a clothing rail with six dresses – all the same, in three different colours. I inferred this as trying to imply a potential mental health disorder – particularly given the dresses – which read well, and was subtle enough as to not be stereotypical. If this was the case, however, I wish that could have been explored more throughout. The costume included many bright and warm colours, contrasting the play’s heavy themes – as if it were part of the couple trying to pretend everything is ‘normal’ and masking their dark sides. Again, I appreciated the subtlety of this suggestion.

The content was interesting enough and did keep me wanting to know more about what’s really going on with the characters. Yet, I feel it’s a story and relationship dynamic I’ve seen many times before. Again, without giving too much away, I watch a lot of Detective TV shows and the main families, parents and couples all share this same struggle where one party doesn’t truly know the other since a shared trauma, and as a result they’re broken. Except here there is no mystery to unfold in action, it’s just the audience trying to guess what on Earth is up with the box.

Overall, a good watchable show, with some interesting themes to explore, but it did leave me unsatisfied and yearning for ten times more.

 


THE BOX at the White Bear Theatre

Reviewed on 24th July 2024

by David Robinson

Photography by Alex Walton

 


 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

JUST STOP EXTINCTION REBELLION | ★★★ | February 2024
I FOUND MY HORN | ★★★★ | February 2023
THE MIDNIGHT SNACK | ★★★ | December 2022
THE SILENT WOMAN | ★★★★ | April 2022
US | ★★★★ | February 2022
MARLOWE’S FATE | ★★★ | November 2021

THE BOX

THE BOX

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

 

Box

The Box

White Bear Theatre

Reviewed – 3rd October 2017

 

⭐️⭐️

 

“some moments are delicate, others are clunky and too heavily reliant on exposition.”

 

The details of a toxic relationship, before and after, are explored in The Box, the debut play from writer Chris Szuca. Playing between now and the 7th at the White Bear Theatre, this is an attempt to deconstruct a relationship with the benefit of hindsight.

This a play with potential. Unfortunately this production fails to capitalise on its key strengths, leaving its many weaknesses exposed. While the script is detailed, it lacks subtlety and nuance. While some moments are delicate, such as Young Robyn’s speech to her baby daughter, others are clunky and too heavily reliant on exposition. There is a lack of depth to the dialogue, reducing what could be gritty realism into a superficial melodrama with a climax which feels forced and lacks impact.

Performance wise, there is a lack of intimacy on the stage between both couples which robs all the relationships of any true emotional connection. The direction does not help them – the positioning seems mechanical and unfocused, and there is far too much pointless faffing with props and costumes which pulls focus. Of the cast, the younger couple fare better. Emma Stirling manages to find strokes of determination and fragility in the awkwardness of the spacing, making her Robyn sympathetic. Dan Burman does his best to make the younger Andrew multi-faceted, playing vulnerability over threat, but is hindered by some clumsy dialogue. As the older couple, Pat Garrett and Will Anderson struggle to work off each other. Garrett delivers her lines clearly and earnestly, but with little variety and she is left to wander aimlessly too often. Anderson in turn, plumbs the depths of Andrew’s despair but feels sidelined. The power of their confrontation is lost in the polite distance and introspection that each seems stuck in.

Overall this feels like a premature staging. Both script and performance still need polish. However, there is potential here. It’s a brave endeavour to produce a debut play and you hope that this is just a stepping stone performance, that both cast and crew can build on.

 

Reviewed for thespyinthestalls.com

 

 

THE BOX

is at The White Bear Theatre until 7th October

 

 

Click here to see a list of the latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com