At the weekend 'Clybourne Park' won Best New Play at the Olivier's, it has also received almost universal praise from the critics and been given a West End transfer from the Royal Court, could it possibly live up to these expectations?
Unequivocally yes. It's a brilliant new play performed superbly by a hugely talented cast.
Bruce Norris' script dazzles with it's impish ability to raise questions about acceptable behaviour and language and the changing state of morality without ever feeling preachy or forced. His characters speak and react like real people. The dialogue, especially in the second act, bounces from -ism to -ism delighting in making the audience shout with laughter while cringing at the taboos being broken. Sexism, racism, xenophobia and homophobia all get a little dig, a little moment caging the characters in a maze of things you must never do or say. For middle class liberals it's a perfect storm and hysterically funny.
Enormous skill is displayed by all members of the cast. Sarah Goldberg excels as Lindsey and Lorna Brown must look forward to delivering the killer white women gag every single night. Perfectly timed it had the audience in uproar. Stephen Campbell Moore has a brilliant way of communicating that he knows he's digging a hole but just can't stop, you squirm at each utterance. Lucian Msamati has a panicked dignity in the first act.
Set and costume design by Robert Innes Hopkins has a suitably fifties sit-com style in the first act and an astonishing transformation in the second. Lighting and sound are subtle, letting the words carry the weight.
If there is a weakness, it's the final coda to the play where Kenneth makes an appearance. This one extra tie from the incidents of the first act seemed a trifle unnecessary given the parentage of the rest of the characters and the presence of the box and note onstage. However this is a tiny misstep in an otherwise almost perfect evening of intelligent entertainment.
Bill Count: 2
No comments:
Post a Comment