BETWEEN DOG AND WOLF. To 17 November.

London

BETWEEN DOG AND WOLF
by Sean Buckley.

Shunt Vaults To 17 November 2007.
6pm
Runs 55min No interval.
Review: Timothy Ramsden 17 November.

Scottish venture refreshes London’s early evening scene.
It started in Glasgow, on the corner of Great Western and Byres roads, at Oran Mor, a sophisticated dining and drinking venue with a theatre below (the Gaelic name translates as something like “great music”, referring equally to pibrochs or the “music of humanity”). Here, new one-act plays by recognised and developing Scottish writers have week-long lunchtime runs. As lunchtimes are limited, a pie plus a drink – wine or juice as alternatives to a pint – are included in the ticket.

Sean Buckley’s play has two fine actors and the very experienced Roxana Silbert directing. Silbert is Artistic Director of Paines Plough, the English new-writing company that’s a fund of new opportunities for playwrights, and which is bringing some of the Oran Mor repertoire (which has already reached from Glasgow to other parts of Scotland) to the Shunt Vaults.

The Vaults are not so much near, as virtually part of, London Bridge Underground (exit through the ticket barriers and turn right – the entry’s straight ahead). Situated under a rail bridge, they provide multiple performance spaces, any of which might be used for a particular show.

The whole experience has come down to London, food and liquor as well as drama (though the alliteratively-minded Glasgow management has turned its evening performances into ‘A Dinner, a Drama and a Dram’). I’d reckon Sean Buckley’s play occupies roughly 75% of the hour, the rest involving exchange of ticket for pie and drink. Plus seating and a few moments’ munching-time before the lights go down.

Buckley is the newest name in a season also including David Greig, Che Walker and, still to come, Rona Munro. His play starts at its fatal end, replaying scenes from the life of Neil McKinven’s John, from happy days on the sands with his daughter, who’s later ripped untimely from him.

It’s a formula used several times in theatre and film and Buckley handles it, and shows his characters, capably. McKinven brings increasing anguish to John’s life, while Cath Whitefield (recently impressive at Notting Hill’s Gate Theatre) transforms instantly and vividly between characters at various stages of life.

Kate: Cath Whitefield.
John: Neil McKinven.

Director: Roxana Silbert.

2007-11-26 11:10:31