Last week we went on a field trip to Southwark Playhouse in London Bridge. A friend had recommended a play called The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill, which was presented by Cartwright Productions and Creature of London (a lovely advertising agency we have recently been in to visit).
The play, set in 1922, explores the oppressed working class alongside the inherent human need to belong. The main character Yank (Bill Ward), is a brutish laborer who commands the fiery pit of a cruise liner. He and his fellow stokers are true working class men with a love of steel. They are visited by the daughter of a wealthy business man who, upon seeing Yank, screams "filthy beast" at him, before running back to her upper class world. This encounter causes Yank to have a crisis of identity and when the ship docks, he set out to the streets of Manhattan on a quest to find where he belongs.
Southwark Playhouse's main auditorium held a cross shaped stage with the cast impressively, and successfully, performing to an audience on all four sides. With only a small cast, their change from the unrestrained working class to the controlling rich was well executed. And the intimate setting and dark lighting created an atmosphere that, topped with Ward's forceful and intense performance, made for a very exciting and enthralling evening. The play came to a dramatic conclusion with growls and howls pervading the darkness; enough to leave anyone unsettled.
Time Out gave the play 4/5 (5/5 reader rating) but a few reviews we have seen have commented on and criticised Yank's sometimes muffled speech. We felt that although inaudible at times this only enhanced Ward's performance. Intentional or otherwise, it added another element to the beast-like character he was trying to emulate. Our verdict 4/5, a powerful 90 minutes packed full of raw energy.
Southwark Playhouse's main auditorium held a cross shaped stage with the cast impressively, and successfully, performing to an audience on all four sides. With only a small cast, their change from the unrestrained working class to the controlling rich was well executed. And the intimate setting and dark lighting created an atmosphere that, topped with Ward's forceful and intense performance, made for a very exciting and enthralling evening. The play came to a dramatic conclusion with growls and howls pervading the darkness; enough to leave anyone unsettled.
Time Out gave the play 4/5 (5/5 reader rating) but a few reviews we have seen have commented on and criticised Yank's sometimes muffled speech. We felt that although inaudible at times this only enhanced Ward's performance. Intentional or otherwise, it added another element to the beast-like character he was trying to emulate. Our verdict 4/5, a powerful 90 minutes packed full of raw energy.
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