Tag Archives: White Bear Theatre

THE BOX

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White Bear Theatre

THE BOX at the White Bear Theatre

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“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 β€˜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 | β˜…β˜…β˜… | February 2024
I FOUND MY HORN | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | February 2023
THE MIDNIGHT SNACK | β˜…β˜…β˜… | December 2022
THE SILENT WOMAN | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | April 2022
US | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | February 2022
MARLOWE’S FATE | β˜…β˜…β˜… | November 2021

THE BOX

THE BOX

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JUST STOP EXTINCTION REBELLION

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White Bear Theatre

JUST STOP EXTINCTION REBELLION at the White Bear Theatre

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“the potential for an exciting clash of cultures in this piece never transpires”

Just Stop Extinction Rebellion is a hopeful play about finding romance, and finding yourself, in the autumn of life whilst the world is burning. An overtly political play this is not – admitted by the playwright, Brad Sutherland, in a note on the programme. The context in which the central pair meet, at an upper-middle class, West London climate activist group, is little more than incidental and could as easily have been a church choir. However, the meet cute does reflect the pair’s need to find meaning beyond their own little lives – seeking hope that more people can be saved from the actions they take.

The two leads are the effervescent Millicent Forbes-Frobischer of Barnes, patron of the Globe and regular at Waitrose, played with aplomb by Louise Bangay, and plain old Ben, soppy and staid James Price. Millicent is seven months separated from her husband under circumstances left unresolved. Ben is equally frustrated in his marriage, having been pushed out by his wife, Petra (Orsolya Nagy) who calls herself an β€˜evil bitch’. Over the course of many months, the two grow closer as they share in their marriage woes and plot with fellow activists Gaia (also Nagy), George (Stephen Riddle) and Mrs Warboys (Hilary Field). Whilst there is sweetness to the pairs developing relationship after so many years out of the dating game, Price’s Ben is wet and left wanting beside Bangay as the dazzling Millicent. And whereas Millicent benefits from a clearly defined character arc, Ben is walked all over by his cruel wife and ends pretty much back where he started.

More interesting is the relationship between Millicent and George as their ideas for addressing the climate emergency rub up against each other. George raises motions to use guerrilla tactics of egg bombing cars and lying down in the road to halt traffic. Millicent wants to affect change through policy, and proposes a motion as such at her first meeting. His patronising quotation of Mark Twain β€˜if I don’t read newspapers I’m I’ll informed, if I read them I’m uninformed’ receives a quipped at equally belittling reply from Millicent and we realise George may have met his match.

“Kenneth Michaels makes some odd directorial choices”

Whilst the plays author, Brad Sutherland, may apologise for trying to write a balanced play airing both sides, in my view, that’s a strength. Both approaches are necessary – activism for raising consciousness and demanding change and policymaking for driving the change. The characters’ perspectives are perhaps influenced by their power – Millicent as an upper middle class woman with connections in the media and government can demand and achieve attention for her policy ideas. George, whose daughter has recently died, just wants immediate action.

Kenneth Michaels makes some odd directorial choices, namely the cheesy dancing sequences to β€˜Walking on Sunshine’ the extended chanting and breathwork sequences by the spiritual Gaia. Nagy’s caricatured performance in a rainbow streaked wig and billowing costumes (Samantha Parry) makes a mockery of activism without any redeeming features.

Despite the strong performance of Louise Bangay and a chameleonic turn from Stephen Riddle as Millicent’s dapper husband Henry, the potential for an exciting clash of cultures in this piece never transpires and instead the play’s emotional heart is left wanting by weak characters and parodied performances.


JUST STOP EXTINCTION REBELLION at the White Bear Theatre

Reviewed on 1st February 2024

by Amber Woodward

Photography by Paddy Gormley

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

I FOUND MY HORN | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | February 2023
THE MIDNIGHT SNACK | β˜…β˜…β˜… | December 2022
THE SILENT WOMAN | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | April 2022
US | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | February 2022
MARLOWE’S FATE | β˜…β˜…β˜… | November 2021
LUCK BE A LADY | β˜…β˜…β˜… | June 2021

JUST STOP EXTINCTION REBELLION

JUST STOP EXTINCTION REBELLION