SMELLING A RAT To 26 April

London

SMELLING A RAT
by Mike Leigh

Streetcar9 Productions at Union Theatre To 26 April 2002
Tue - Fri 8pm
Runs 1hr 30 min. One interval.

TICKETS 020 7261 9876.
Review Danny Braverman 17 April

Fringe company can't breathe life into this 1988 Mike Leigh play, that doesn't deserve a revival.
You can see why this 1988 play by Mike Leigh hasn't been revived before - it's not very good. You can also see why fringe company Streetcar9 might want to produce it - the kudos of uncovering a lost treasure by a well-known writer (or deviser of scripts) might attract an audience.

The first act of this play is set up as a farce. Unexpectedly and inexplicably home from his holiday in the Canary Islands, golfing enthusiast Rex Weasel hears voices outside his bedroom and - without much story logic - hides himself in a cupboard with a gun. The intruders are Charmaine and Victor Maggot, ostensibly on the premises to check Rex's security but really there to have a nose around. Thankfully, the gods of theatre have provided a plentiful supply of bedroom wardrobes, because Charmaine and Victor also find themselves in need of closeting following more voices off from Rex's son Rocky and paramour Melanie-Jane Beetles.

If only the usual cliché were true and there was some kind of ensuing mayhem. Sadly, the second act disobeys the laws of farce, by decelerating the pace until the play peters out inconclusively, leaving us with one of those 'is that the end?' nervous smatterings of applause.

Perhaps the unevenness of the performances reflects the unease in the play. It must have been difficult for the cast to know whether to go with Leigh's sardonic naturalistic dialogue or the fuller physicality of the farce form. Ian Rixon as Victor, Indi Madray as Charmain and Tyrone Atkins as Rocky seem to make the right decision and pitch their performances towards underplaying.

By contrast, Bob Rixon as Rex Weasel only found one dynamic for his Mr Angry and that was, predictably, to shout. Rudi Symons' also had the volume knob turned up to eleven and found no discernible light and shade to her characterisation of Melanie-Jane Beetles. Surely, director Ben DeWynter must take the rap for not guiding his actors into a consistent performing style.

The lesson to be learnt here is that even fine theatre-makers are not always consistent; they have a right to experiment and get it wrong. Plays should still be sent through quality control before embarking on a revival, no matter what the credits they bring with them.

Rex Weasel: Bob Rixon
Charmaine Maggot: Indi Madray
Ian Rixon: Victor Maggot
Melanie-Jane Beetles: Rudi Symons
Rocky Weasel: Tyrone Atkins

Director: Ben DeWynter

2002-04-18 17:03:22