You cannot accuse Julian Sands in A Celebration of Harold Pinter (****) of being something it is not: everything you need to know about the production is found within that lengthy title. And yet many seem to have been disappointed in what is a worthy tribute to the master writer.
Julian Sands comes onto a bare stage and, for 45 minutes, speaks about Harold Pinter, reads his poetry and gives an excellent insight into the man, the writer and the persona. There are no gimmicks or theatrical distractions, just Sands coming across as a passionate professor relishing in a subject he loves—and too right. Pinter’s poetry may not be anywhere as popular as his plays, but if anything this production proves, that this is a fact that desperately needs to be rectified.
Analogue is a company I’ve encountered twice before. Those productions were technical marvels but had a knack of bypassing character and plot for spectacle. 2401 Objects (***) is the exact opposite. The play looks at Patient HM, a man suffering from severe amnesia. It is a well-paced little gem that lasts just long enough to give a theatrical portrait of a rather interesting man without overstaying its welcome or being self-indulgent.
But where Analogue’s last two productions let tech get in the way, 2401 Objects could actually use a bit more flair. There are some fun projections and a clever swivel set, but these are actually more practical than anything. Still, it is a worthy production that treats its subject with due respect and makes one appreciate that this young company are starting to mature.
New theatre company Think Outside the Box has done everything right for their inaugural production of Petrol Jesus Nightmare (****). They have chosen a play that is timely and has characters near their age, and they have come up with a brand new interpretation that differs from what audiences saw at the Traverse five years ago. Nightmare takes place in an Israeli war zone. Mixing satire, gallows humour and gritty realism, the play takes a dark look at warfare, religion and power struggles.
What is most admirable about the production is how far it is willing to go. Director Christopher Rybak has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, and to give any of them away would do the production a disservice; most of his choices work rather well and are in line with Henry Adam’s harsh script. The cast are mostly quite solid, with standout performances from William Mitchell’s world-weary Yossariat and Pearl Appleby’s brave turn as the Rabbi’s Wife.
Think Outside the Box might be made up of students, but it by no means feels like a ‘student production’, and if they are able to carry the momentum with future productions that commit as solidly as this one does, then they just might be a company worth paying attention to.
Julian Sands in A Celebration of Harold Pinter performs at 1500 at the Pleasance Courtyard until August 21. 2401 Objects performs at 1640 at the Pleasance Courtyard until August 28. Petrol Jesus Nightmare performs at 1900 at the Metropolitan Bar until August 17.
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