MARCHERS. To 8 October.

London

MARCHERS
by Matt Morrison

White Bear Theatre 138 Kennington Park Road SE11 4DJ To 8 October 2006
Tue-Sat 8pm Sun 4pm
Runs 1hr 45min One interval

TICKETS: 020 7793 9193
www.ticketweb.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 1 October

Intriguing look at how sympathy pans-out in practice.
A million people marched through London on 5 February 2003 against British involvement in war with Iraq. But that mass subdivides into a range of varying individuals. Among them were left-leaning, make-a-difference actor Steve and his girlfriend Gemma, a researcher involved in experiments on animals. Their third flat-sharer, reactionary Mark, took the weekend away.

Back with the two marchers comes sympathy case Tom, somehow injured by a mugger. He’s soon sharing the flat, apparently searching for a job to pay the rent. At first, Gemma and Steve stick up for him, with good liberal consciences, against Mark’s predictable hostility.

Tom’s a near-ultimate non-person, making wild boasts, offering to repair damage he’s caused, thousands of pounds if need be, despite his unemployed near-insolvency. His response to pressure is compliance. He’s utterly ineffectual when an intruder breaks in, either failing to notice or snuggling further into the haven of his earpieces.

Author Matt Morrison gives a disenchanted view of convictions. Mark has none, unless it’s self-interest; as a lobbyist he’ll argue for whoever’s paying him. Gemma’s anti-war stance goes with animal-testing, and she can be supercilious about the purposes of that when she’s been out drinking.

Her liberal attitudes don’t survive the intrusion, with its scrawled attack on her work. Panic understandably sets in and she wants Tom, who’s so different from her familiar world, out. This leaves arch-liberal Steve, whose reasoned calm seems admirable but is questioned by the play’s denouement.

Morrison’s conclusion is bravely unorthodox: Steve is wrapped up in his own ideals, Gemma’s convictions are skin-deep, while the unsympathetic, sharp-tongued Mark has a practical approach, correctly sensing trouble as it lies latent. The play may raise further questions but it addresses awkward points about the gap between general ideals and personal actions and shows sympathetic attitudes doesn’t always lead to the sensible course of action.

Marchers is capably acted but could benefit from sharper direction. Even in the White Bear’s intimacy there’s a flaccidity to pace and energy levels, not helped by sequences of brief scenes. But it’s still an intriguing piece.

Mark: Dominik Golding
Tom: Lachlan McCall
Steve: Charlie Palmer
Gemma: Naomi Taylor

Directors: Nick Harrop, Matt Morrison
Designer: Susie Albrecht
Sound: Patrick Furness

2006-10-03 11:53:51