WORDS NICHOLAS URFE
Characters need to be sufficiently interesting in order to hold our attention for an hour and a half of theatre-going. Unfortunately, in Collapsing Horse’s latest, the thinly sketched characters on show provide no such depth, leaving the whole venture feeling quite empty.
The piece starts off interestingly enough, with great use of the cleverly designed movable set. Colm McNally’s set is consistently the most promising element of the show and in this opening scene it is made full use of, creating some excellent stage effects and providing a myriad of spaces in which to play. The set continues to be used in such a manner throughout as the four pieces of the set are re-arranged constantly to create an ever changing space for the actors to perform in. Furthermore the lighting design by Sarah Jane Shiels is aesthetically compelling and functions extremely well with the moving set, affecting the noir vibe that the show is aiming for.
The problems seem to lie both with the script and the actors’ performance of it. Many of the jokes and one-liners landed flat, with only a couple of people in a packed-out audience seeming to enjoy their delivery. The performances were largely underwhelming, with the notable exception of Breffni Holahan who was seemingly alone in instilling the attempted humour in the script. The stock characters, played with a real lack of energy and direction, were too two-dimensional for any real audience investment. They left us ultimately with no real interest in their respective fates. The choreography was occasionally interesting, but overall was quite messy, and lacked cohesion. At times it was hard to see what level of direction had been given, if any.
Overall, I found the show to be rather disappointing, with the script and performances letting down a clever and functional stage and light design. Notable mention must be given to a very interesting and quite lovely soundscape by Simon Bird which, like the aforementioned stage and light designs, was undersold by the rest of the piece’s lack of charisma and coherence.
