DEALER'S CHOICE: till 27 September

DEALER'S CHOICE: Patrick Marber

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle Under Lyme
Box office: 01782 717962
Runs until Saturday 27 September, 2hrs, one interval
Review: Ranjit Khutan: 12th September 2003

A fast paced play that has the audience gripped from the outset.
Set in an Italian restaurant in London, the play (all male characters) looks at the way men relate to each other: how banter, insults and game-playing are used to hide the real emotional stakes that exist between them. The relatively simple plot line allows Marber to use the diversity in the characters as a vehicle to reveal their stories.

Dixon's Mugsy is a sprightly character he is the joker in the pack dreaming of having his own restaurant on the mile end road only at present this restaurant is the public convenience. Stephen is the owner of the restaurant, less interested in the business of food than he is in his weekly game of poker. Deacon's Stephen is cool and collected with a hold on his team like a drug. Deacon expresses Stephen's emotions in outbursts the tension of holding back his thoughts and feelings emitting itself through his facial gestures and the characters verbal insight into his colleagues.

Carl (played by Dominic Charles-Rouse) is Stephen's son the young maverick who lives the high life in the city gambling away fortunes to leave his father picking up the pieces. Charles-Rouse is confident in his delivery of a son who tries to gain the adoration of his father even by trying to follow in his path as a gambler.

Set against these, Sweeney the chef seems different from the others he has a daughter and wants to refrain from the weekly gambling knowing that he has a problem and must escape. His closest friend in the team the waiter Frankie can see this and tries to help but like any junkie just can't muster the energy to assist him.

The simultaneous arguments between Stephen and Carl in the restaurant, and Sweeney and Frankie in the kitchen are delivered with accuracy and result in an energy that creates movement - even though the actors remain standing still. The dialogue rocks gently back and forth the intended climax unnoticeable to begin with. However, like leaves caught in a gust of circling wind, the players draw us into a crescendo of energy Mugsy joining in at one point and being flung out, as we are eventually, when it comes to an abrupt end.

Some may find the language a bit much, but it is this that makes this play three dimensional as well as adding a sharp kick if reality.

Marber states that this play 'requires simple staging and directors mess with that at their peril'. Simon Cox has taken this advice but through simple colour coding of the set and by adopting a timeless classic look he has managed to allow the men's' emotions to come to the fore through their dialogue.

Ash: Robert Calvert
Carl: Dominic Charles-Rouse
Stephen: Brian Deacon
Mugsy: Adrian Dixon
Sweeney: Mark Leadbetter
Frankie: Keith Woodason

Director: Simon Cox
Designer: Sue Condie
Lighting Designer: Simon Macer-Wright
Sound Designer: James Earl-Davis
Fight Director: Renny Krupinski
Stage manager: Andrew Billington

2003-09-22 19:36:06