HARD SELL. To 19 December.

London

HARD SELL
by Craig Baxter

Theatre 503 Latchmere Pub 503 Battersea Park Road SW11 3BW To 19 December 2004
Tue-Sat 8pm Sun 5pm
Runs 55min No interval

TICKETS: 020 7978 7040
Review: Timothy Ramsden 11 December

A brief, but intriguing police piece.When characters have names like those in Craig Baxter's new play (which eastern England company Menagerie brings to Battersea) you're not looking at a slice of realistic life. But unlike 503's recent premiere One Glass Wall where the lack of basic explanatory points undermined the dramatic situation, Baxter successfully uses his white-washed police interview room from the start as a downbeat contrast to extraordinary human behaviour.

There's a bow to realism in manipulation of the interview recording, but having the rich woman under questioning played' by a shop-window mannequin leaves no doubt we're not in for gritty police procedurals. It's an unusual crime anyway; a magnate has sold his wife (+ child) to an associate for £70,000. Later, his body's found in water and the purchased wife is apprehended carrying a case containing £70,000.

There follows a comic examination of several themes. The most obvious is police corruption. Yet Baxter doesn't go quite the obvious route. Getting his hands on the loot in return for not framing the lady is Sergeant Filth's idea; constable Pig is incorruptible.

He's also the source of a helpful contrast to the satirical main-flow, memories of his recent dead mother setting up confrontation with his unsympathetic Sergeant. Several solutions to the death are suggested, but it scarcely matters. More important, and equally fantastic, is the way the two policemen imagine themselves into the characters' minds in an attempt to recreate events and the power play between the participants.

Paul Bourne's production is ideally cast. As conscientious Pig Martin Austin is the poker-faced straight-man, reactions being mere intensifications of his expression. Roger Sloman's Filth is all expression, eyebrows, eyes, mouth and his rich voice creating a symphony of responses in contrast to his still partner.

If there's a complaint, it's simply that under an hour is short measure. Yes, there's a pub downstairs and plenty of other things to fill up a London evening. But a generation ago this would have been a lunchtime show or part of an evening double-bill; theatre still needs to offer fair quantity as well as quality for the price of a ticket.

DS Filth: Roger Sloman
DC Pig: Martin Austin

Director: Paul Bourne

2004-12-13 01:00:49