An Oak Tree
Lynn Freeman
An Oak Tree
Directed by Andrew Foster
Circa Two
Reviewed by Lynn Freeman
THERE are some plays that, when they finish, you can’t wait to turn to your companion and talk about it. An Oak Tree by Tim Crouch is just such a work. It doesn’t only play with theatre convention, as spin it around ‘til it’s dizzy.
There are two people in the play every night. Only one has any idea what is happening. The guest actor is at the mercy of the permanent cast member and the script, with his lines being delivered in a variety of ways throughout the 70 minutes of the performance.
Richard Chapman on Sunday night quickly got into the swing of things and gave his character Andy, a bereaved, disturbed and confused father, a lot of pathos. Because this has something of a writing exercise – contrivance to use the playwright’s own word - it needs to have ‘heart’ moments where the audience stops trying to figure out what is happening and admiring the cleverness of it all, and give a damn about the people. The terse exchange between Andy and his distraught wife is one of those memorable moments.
Andy Foster’s direction was well judged and paced, never a dull moment on stage.
Spite is in his element, using his acting and directing skills in the way he guides his guest actor and issues the audience with the occasional instruction too. We reviewers are told that to do this production justice, we should see every performance through the month. That actually would be an intriguing thing to do, but I may have to limit it to a conversation with Tim Spite at the end of the season.
Directed by Andrew Foster
Circa Two
Reviewed by Lynn Freeman
THERE are some plays that, when they finish, you can’t wait to turn to your companion and talk about it. An Oak Tree by Tim Crouch is just such a work. It doesn’t only play with theatre convention, as spin it around ‘til it’s dizzy.
There are two people in the play every night. Only one has any idea what is happening. The guest actor is at the mercy of the permanent cast member and the script, with his lines being delivered in a variety of ways throughout the 70 minutes of the performance.
Richard Chapman on Sunday night quickly got into the swing of things and gave his character Andy, a bereaved, disturbed and confused father, a lot of pathos. Because this has something of a writing exercise – contrivance to use the playwright’s own word - it needs to have ‘heart’ moments where the audience stops trying to figure out what is happening and admiring the cleverness of it all, and give a damn about the people. The terse exchange between Andy and his distraught wife is one of those memorable moments.
Andy Foster’s direction was well judged and paced, never a dull moment on stage.
Spite is in his element, using his acting and directing skills in the way he guides his guest actor and issues the audience with the occasional instruction too. We reviewers are told that to do this production justice, we should see every performance through the month. That actually would be an intriguing thing to do, but I may have to limit it to a conversation with Tim Spite at the end of the season.
Have Your Say
0 Comments
No comments.