Only the Lonely. To 3 December.

Birmingham

ONLY THE LONELY
byTamsin Oglesby

Birmingham Repertory Theatre (The Door) To 3 December 2005
Mon-Sat 7.45pm Mat 1 Dec 2.45pm
Runs 1hr 40min No interval

TICKETS: 0121 236 4455
www.birmingham-rep.co.uk
Review: Jan Pick 23 November

A show that shows everybody needs somebody.
There has been some excellent work on show at the Door, Birmingham Rep’s experimental space, and this thoughtful, intriguing new play by Tamsin Oglesby is no exception. Its dark and witty exploration of the fear of loneliness is told through the story of Joe, a 12 year old boy, whose father has left home and whose friend, Billy, suddenly goes missing.

The inventive staging, designed and lit by John Comiskey, moves the action backward and forward in time, from one location to another, with occasional slightly surreal touches strangely reminiscent of Priestley’s An Inspector Calls – and indeed an Inspector does call, several times.

Bill, Joe’s neighbour, whose autism isolates him from the mainstream of existence and whose oddities are too alien to be considered comfortable, is skilfully contrasted with the more acceptably eccentric elderly couple, Henry and Liza - beautifully realised by Benjamin Whitrow and Ann Firbank - whose acerbic, witty exchanges disguise their interdependence, and, as the audience gradually realise, whose existence would be impossible without each other.

All the characters face the fear of loneliness in their lives, and all deal with it in different ways. Even Bill, apparently self-sufficient, in his desperation to escape the imprisoning walls of his autism reaches out to others who are also trapped in their lonely existences without fully realising it. The ultimate shocking betrayal is inextricably intertwined with the tragedy of other blighted lives in this dark, sharp and witty play.

Imaginatively staged and sensitively acted, particular credit should go to Mikey Lightfoot as Joe, and to Jonathan Coyne, who develops the difficult role of Bill, the autistic neighbour, with great sympathy and skill.

Joe: Mikey Lightfoot
Bill: Jonathan Coyne
Michelle: Sarah-Jane Drummey
Henry: Benjamin Whitrow
Liza: Ann Firbank
Clint: Peter Eastland
TV Voice: Stephen Boxer

Director: Lynne Parker
Designer/Lighting: John Comiskey
Sound: Fergus O’Hare
Costume: Rachael Mainwaring

2005-11-28 00:38:07