THE DICE HOUSE: Lucas, The B'ham Stage Co at The Old Red Lion, 'till 30 March

THE DICE HOUSE
by Paul Lucas

The Birmingham Stage Company at The Old Red Lion Theatre to 30 March
Tues-Sun 8.00 p.m.
Runs 1hr 55m. One interval.

TICKETS 020 7837 7816
Review Danny Braverman 12 March

Paul Lucas' new comedy contemplates the randomness of human behaviour in an hilarious production.
The playfulness of this show starts at the box office. Each punter roles a pair of dice to determine their ticket price (£2 - £12). Before curtain up, strangers are chatting to each other over pints in this cosy Islington pub theatre, finding out how much they paid and casually speculating on the nature of randomness. The audience, now successfully warmed-up, is treated to a delectably savage comedy.

Writer Paul Lucas has taken his inspiration from Luke Reinhart's best-selling novel The Dice Man, and turned it into an ingeniously plotted farce. The main action is established in a fraudulent therapeutic community led by cross-dressing psychiatrist Dr Ratner (Neal Foster), where patients are required to relinquish decision-making to a throw of the dice. Subsequent twists of the plot surprise and amuse at every turn, leaving the audience helpless with laughter - despite (or maybe because of) the sick consequences.

The Dice House is packed with a gallery of bizarre yet plausible characters. Jeremy Crutchley plays Ratner's rival psychiatrist Dr Drabble superbly - wickedly oscillating between dead-pan cruelty and manic lack of control. Ewan Thompson's bumptious Welsh paranoid Mr Smith is a classic dupe, portrayed with precision and superb physical energy. As the other patients, Matt Blair, Claudia Elmhirst, Lucy Scott and James Low all turn in well-observed and witty performances to create a solid ensemble.

Graeme Messer's direction is immaculate - pulling together these fine performances into a perfectly paced and rhythmic whole and Norman Coates' inventive set is a perfect complement for this intimate space.

The Dice House cunningly muses on profound philosophical questions about free will and the individual's capacity to impose a pattern on existence. I was gratified that writer Paul Lucas imposed his own wonderfully crafted plan on me - producing an excellent evening's entertainment.

Matthew: Matt Blair
Dr Drabble: Jeremy Crutchley
Lisa: Claudia Elmhirst
Mr Smith: Ewan Thompson
Dr Ratner: Neal Foster
Polly: Lucy Scott
The Slow Assassin: Robert Frater
Victor: James Low

Director: Graeme Messer
Designer: Norman Coates
Lighting Designer: David W. Kidd

2002-03-14 20:36:19