EXCUSES! To 22 November.
Tour
EXCUSES!
by Joel Jordan and Jordi Sanchez adapted by Gordon Anderson from a translation by Matthew Tree
ATC in association with Krampack and Soho Theatre
Tour to 22 November 2003
Runs 1hr 35min One interval
Review: Timothy Ramsden 14 November at Bristol Old Vic Studio
Domesticity and careerism given the laughter and desperation of farce.Almost short enough to play twice the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce - this is rightly closer to a surface of laughter than tears. But there's an underlying pool of sadness. David Grindley's production captures the mood in full.
Christian and Olivia appear a happy couple. But from the moment his friend Matthew arrives unannounced to spoil Olivia's planned romantic evening, chaos erupts. Naturally enough, Olivia cannot bear Matthew, the most upfront of this variously self-obsessed quartet (his jacket's purple lining constitutes an offence against the retina).
A farcical whirl of assignations, half-understood suggestions and character conflicts underlines the men's laddish chat and women's sweet-tongued rivalry. A mobile phone flung round the room almost becomes a fifth character a role taken in act two by Christian and Olivia's offstage, noisily demanding baby.
The toy-strewn floor marks clearly what parenthood does to them as do Christian and Olivia's tired-eyed expressions. Their friends meanwhile are enduring soaraway career success. Separately, of course. Matthew's obnoxious as ever, while Suzanna's come a long way in self-importance.
Grindley's meticulous yet swift direction and four performers' energetic alertness somehow keep our sympathies despite appalling behaviour. Alistair Petrie's Matthew is clearly beyond therapy, redemption or humiliation which, for him, is just another form of manipulation. Robin Weaver lets Suzanna progress subtly from creep's victim to self-believing media superstar.
Christian's the traditional slow-on-the-uptake farce victim. Shaggy-haired, his features slowly registering responses to the quickfire dialogue around him, Alexis Conran's beautifully-controlled performance simultaneously provides a moral centre and focus for laughter.
Doon MacKichan's programme biography quotes Manchester University and the London stand-up circuit as training-grounds. Both are evident here; precisely-turned comic moments standing out within a coherent characterisation. She provides several acidically sugared replies to Suzanna's self-promotions, while her mouthed-from-memory quotes from the story we hear Christian reading baby, make clear how her time's being spent these days.
The joys of parenthood are finally replaced by cries of agony. When this happens the moment seems perfectly logical, thanks to this farce's tightly inventive construction, and the excellently-judged direction of four finely individual performances.
Christian: Alexis Conran
Olivia: Don MacKichan
Matthew: Alistair Petrie
Suzanna: Robin Weaver
Director: David Grindley
Designer: Tim Shortall
Lighting: Jason Taylor
Sound: Nick Manning
Fight director: Paul Benzing
Dramaturg: Pep Anton Gomez
Tour:
117-18 November Warwick Arts Centre Coventry 7.445pm 024 7652 4524 www.warwickartscentre.co.uk
20-22 November Traverse Theatre Edinburgh 7.30pm 0131 228 1404 ww.traverse.co.uk
2003-11-17 22:51:08