Drama
Watching Panic is a confusing experience. As in The Myth of Prometheus with which author John Bohannon won the New Writing Festival in 2001, Panic takes a classical tale and updates it. The myth of Pan and Syrynx is transferred to an Oxfordshire garden centre, where an American girl named Sarah Rinks, a member of a Britney Spears-worshipping virginity cult, has taken a summer job.
The proprietor of the garden centre, like Pan, wants to seduce Sarah and he abducts her on Midsummer's Eve. While the detective investigating her case is frustrated in his search for clues, Sarah has transformed into a wild lusty nymph. The plot is inconclusive and vague and the quality of the writing is often extremely poor.
The direction by Luca Giberti does nothing to diminish the inconsistency of the script. Giberti seeks to represent the metamorphosis by using radical stylistic change. To demonstrate Sarah's sexual transformation after her abduction the play becomes increasingly theatrical. When Sarah is pure and virginal the dialogue and lighting is realistic. After her abduction percussion is introduced to create dramatic tension and the lighting becomes increasingly unnatural. While this stylistic device is a clever idea in theory it does not demonstrate change clearly to the audience.
Panic is a prime example of student drama trying to be too clever for its own good. The script contains some good ideas but they are irredeemably lost in a mass of poor dialogue and artificial stylistic displays that only result in incoherence.
Pinter's 1978 play takes the simplest story - a wife has a seven-year affair with her husband's best friend - and turns it, literally, on its head. The play opens with the adulterous couple meeting years after their affair, and ends with the drunken kiss that started it all off.
Director Andrew Dawson does not present a radical interpretation of Betrayal, but adds touches illuminating Pinter's themes. Pinter's work is suggestive instead of explanatory and this is emphasised in this production by pictures hung around the BT to suggest locations, while props will suggest absent wives, children and lovers.
Betrayal is a demanding play for actors who have to portray a psychological progression backwards, but Dawson's cast is up to the task. Particularly notable was Paul O'Mahony's fearless performance as Robert, the husband. His relish of lines that reclaimed him a piece of the moral battleground were especially enjoyable. Jane Welsh makes Emma a believable participant in this battle, portraying her personal dilemma as peculiarly female - a feat in male-dominated Pinterland.
The constant joy of this production is the fact that unlike other recent productions, Dawson doesn't let sparse dialogue obscure the author's intention. What is most important is curiously both said and left unsaid. Betrayal is the perfect induction for the Pinter-shy; and you lucky few who haven't yet discovered the joys of Pinter have a surprisingly accomplished and slick production with which to take that first step. Go see, even if it's just for the finest dramatic pauses you'll ever experience in your life.
Written and directed by Oxford Revue regulars James Harris and Ed Meehan, this show has all the credentials to be one of the best offerings from Oxford's comedy fringe. The basic story concerns a deadly disease called 'Shaft Gas' that plagues London.
The action moves quickly, interspersed with pauses used to good effect. Physical comedy offers the best moments; the actors roll around the stage with great excitement, and particularly good effects are achieved with nothing more than blinking. Slowly something unsettling becomes apparent, and then finally the realisation. When it comes, there is a great feeling of shame and one almost wishes it hadn't happened.
Jess Hurley plays Tasha with skill, switching instantaneously from the seductive temptress, hands all over the body of her chosen victim, to the caring mother figure. The actors complement each other well, and there is a good company feel to the show. There are some golden lines in the production including "I am sure you have an excellent penis, fit for a President", and the humour is usually well timed. However, the great scoring comes with the tableaux - Snipes persuading Acky to have a 'smoking competition' with him, and crooning "cigarettes, I've had a few."
The one danger is in the disjointed style of the narrative; whilst this is effective in moving the action along and showing us a variety of different characters, it can be quite disconcerting, especially when the concept is so off-the-wall. However, a little spit and polish before next week will get the show up to scratch and the slickness of the comedy will hopefully shine.
30th May 2002