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London Review
London ReviewBroken Space Season
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The lights are off but everyone's home.— The Broken Space Season's motto
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The Broken Space Season is formed of three pieces played each night in an allotted slot. At 7.30pm, Falling Light is a newly commissioned monologue connected to the abstract theme of descent into darkness, echoing the more tangible experience of the audience. Opening the season in Falling Light is Simon Stephens' Sea Wall, directed by George Perring and performed by Andrew Scott with an exquisite balance of charm, wit and grief. Centring on a man with "a hole running through him" after his world is fractured by sudden tragedy, the monologue navigates between domestic minutiae and metaphysical magnitude with finely-executed humour, poetry and calamity.
At 8.30pm, the centrepiece of the season and the only play to run every night throughout Broken Space is the world premiere of Declan Feenan's St Petersburg. The naturalistic, meandering dialogue conceals depths of memory exploration, a lost past and fear of recriminations. The two protagonists are the garrulous, elderly John (Geoffrey Hutchings) and his daughter Kate (Mairead McKinley), who engagingly perform the text's small everyday focus and grainy, earthy texture.
What the Dark Feels Like is the final instalment of the evening, commencing at 9.30pm each night. Performed in total darkness (with perhaps an usher shining a torch on the stage only), the plays have taken "ghost stories" as their starting point. Anthony Weigh's excellent The Flooded Grave is the first piece, focussing on fanatic faith, exorcism, madness, hysteria and shattered love within an evangelical, Norfolk parochialism. Expertly played by John Ramm, the audience enjoy comedy and warmth in what is, in bald narrative terms, a nasty tale of delusion and murder.
Later highlights in the season include new plays or monologues from playwrights such as Neil LaBute, Bryony Lavery and Mike Bartlett. Such a concentrated wealth of new talent is proof that the theatre is still both nurturing and showcasing the best of original writing. Galvanised rather than constrained by crippling financial and practical obstacles, The Bush's The Broken Space Season should be held up as a model for how theatre should be: fresh, inventive and inspirational.
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The Broken Space Season 6 - 25 October 2008 Each evening is divided into three themes with different plays performing in each week. 7.30pm: FALLING LIGHT Simon Stephens, Bryony Lavery and Neil LaBute present three short new monologues performed just as it goes dark, lit by the street lights of Shepherd's Bush Green through the uncovered windows of the theatre. 8.30pm: ST PETERSBURG The only play performing consistently throughout the three week season. The world premiere of a short play by Irish playwright, Declan Feenan, directed by The Bush Theatre's new Associate Director, James Grieve, with Geoffrey Hutchings, Mairead McKinley, Bradley Ford and Zak Bann-Murray in the cast. This will be the first professional production of this writer's work. 9.30pm: WHAT THE DARK FEELS LIKE Six ghostly new plays, commissioned by The Bush, from some of the most exciting new voices in theatre today - Mike Bartlett, Nancy Harris, Lucy Kirkwood, Ben Schiffer, Jack Thorne and Anthony Weigh. These will play in rep in near, or total, darkness. Week 1 Monday 6 October to Saturday 11 October Falling Light SEA WALL by Simon Stephens Directed by George Perrin Cast: Andrew Scott. St Petersburg by Declan Feenan Directed by James Grieve Cast includes: Geoffrey Hutchings, Mairead McKinley, Bradley Ford and Zac Bann-Murray What The Dark Feels Like 6 October to 8 October THE FLOODED GRAVE by Anthony Weigh Directed by Josie Rourke 9 October to 11 October HE SAID by Mike Bartlett Directed by Anthony Weigh WEEK 2 Monday 13 October to Sat 18 October Falling Light BUFONIDAE by Bryony Lavery Directed by Nathan Curry St Petersburg by Declan Feenan Directed by James Grieve Cast includes: Geoffrey Hutchings, Mairead McKinley, Bradley Ford and Zak Bann-Murray What The Dark Feels Like 13 October to 15 October TWO CIGARETTES by Jack Thorne Directed by Anthea Williams 16 October to 18 October HIS GHOSTLY HEART by Ben Schiffer Directed by Hamish Pirie WEEK 3 Monday 20 October to Saturday 25 October Falling Light THE WAR ON TERROR by Neil LaBute Directed by Neil LaBute Cast: Michelle Terry St Petersburg by Declan Feenan Directed by James Grieve Cast includes: Geoffrey Hutchings, Mairead McKinley, Bradley Ford and Zak Bann-Murray What The Dark Feels Like 20 October to 22 October PSYCHOGEOGRAPHYby Lucy Kirkwood 23 October to 25 October LITTLE DOLLSby Nancy Harris Directed by Charlotte Gwinner Plays Written by Neil la Bute, Anthony Weigh, Lucy Kirkwood, Nancy Harris, Declan Feenan, Ben Schiffer, Bryony Lavery, Simon Stephens, Mike Bartlett Directed by Josie Rourke, Neil laBute, Charlotte Gwinner, James Grieve, Anthea Williams, Hamish Pirie, Nathan Currie, George Perrin With: Joseph Fiennes, Ian Hart, Roger Sloman, Phyllis Logan, Kirsty Bushell, Kevin Trainor, Joe Ashman, Oliver Coopersmith, Miranda Princi, Charlotte Beaumont Design: Brien Vahey Lighting design: John Comiskey Costume design: Joan Bergin Running time: Two hours 45minutes with two intervals Box Office: 020 7610 4224 Booking to 25th October 2008 Reviewed by Charlotte Loveridge based on 7th October 2008 performance at The Bush Theatre, Shepherds Bush Green, London, W12 8QD (Tube: Shepherd's Bush) |
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