SMOKE. To 25 March.

Newcastle-under-Lyme/Scarborough

SMOKE
by Bryony Lavery

New Vic Theatre To 4 March
Mon-Sat 7.30pm not 23, 27 Feb Mat 4 March 2.30pm
Captioned/Talkback 28 Feb
then Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough 14-25 March 2006
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat 25 March 2.30pm
Runs: 2hrs 15min. One interval

TICKETS: 01782 717962
www.newvictheatre.org.uk (Newcastle-under-Lyme)
01723 370541 (Scarborough)
Review: Ranjit Khutan: 17 February 2006

Fun, flirtation, fixation and fear.Jess Curtis's set immediately points to the darker issues which Bryony Lavery’s new play juxtaposes with side-splitting comedy in this “genre-defying, spooky romantic comedy”. All is cold, mysterious, ominous. Shafts of smoke-filled light resembling large cigarettes are surrounded by cool contemporary clutter and black furniture.

A lively caffeine- and nicotine-fuelled Donna (Sally Carman) enters, shattering this eerie calm. Quick-witted humour sets the play’s comedy in full swing. Donna is kicking the habit, eating healthily, and to help her along is varnishing her kitchen floor - "going for the clean look." Perhaps she is doing too much and shouldn’t take on any more change, a point further highlighted when Robert Cameron’s Rob asks her out on a date. A bumbling, nervous and spasmodic exchange of dialogue begins the ‘romance’. He won’t take No for an answer, and an innocent crush soon turns into a full-on stalking nightmare.

All the characters have similar, yet unique staccato dialogue that works especially well for comedic effect in Lisa Millet’s quick-witted, brash and confident Theresa. Just come back from holiday in Tenerife with her friend Kulvinder, she won’t let men get the better of her and is on hand to prevent Rod doing so with her best friend.

However, Theresa has her own problems. Her flat is plagued by a strange odour that no amount of air fresher can mask, is consumed by cold that central heating can’t overcome and haunted by mysterious smoke.

Lavery’s script cleverly encourages the audience to accept this world. Until the moment Donna kisses Rod. This seems incongruent with what’s gone before. Why does Donna kiss the cringe-making, candle-obsessed, Ali-G wannabe? It’s here Lavery begins turning everything upside down. The difficult task of blending romance, horror and comedy is handled extremely well. And introducing the frightening but adorable Tom (Michael Hugo) in the second act leads to a lip-biting ending that borders on the absurd, both satisfying curiosity and leaving much open for discussion.

Smoke is a brilliant, intoxicating blend of fun, flirtation, fixation and fear. It will permeate into every emotional, physical and spiritual part, just like, er... smoke.

Rod: Robert Cameron
Donna: Sally Carman
Tom: Michael Hugo
Theresa: Lisa Millet

Director: Gwenda Hughes
Designer: Jess Curtis
Lighting: Daniella Beattie
Sound/Music: James Earl-Davis
Fight director: Kate Waters

2006-02-20 01:43:36