There’s been a dearth of new plays recently – actually, there’s been a shortage of any kind of plays, new or old – so I was glad to schlep off to the Garrick Studio to see director Kim Gillespie’s new offering, No View From The Window.
Kim was responsible for a memorable Beaux Stratagem a few years ago, and a mind-searing Hedda Gabler where it was dangerous to sit in the front row. I watched it three times and on subsequent viewings moved farther and farther back, such was the intensity of the performances he teased from his players.
He’s changed direction now into “devised” theatre, and No View From The Window is its fruit, the script “worked on” with the assistance of the Arts Council. The “devised” part I presume partly includes a performance arrived at by improvisation. In addition the production features complicated sound effects and ends with a film montage flashing back through the central character’s life
It’s the story of Louise, played here by Rebecca Mahon, who has retreated to the grubby bathroom of her childhood home while her mother’s wake goes on downstairs. Her journey tells us about her childhood and its few pleasures before finally revealing a tale of the secret horror she has lived with for many years. Kim Gillespie does a good job here of showing the suffering underbelly of his character.
But if as the programme notes state this performance was “devised” which I take to mean arrived at through a variety of techniques including the actor’s improvisation, this would account for the inclusion of elements not clearly integrated into the overall character.
Otherwise why the smutty banter with the audience in the opening minutes, and why the song at the start of the second half with microphone and black shiny wig? Given the play’s final revelation these just didn’t ring true character-wise, but seemed rather to be fuelled by the need to get on side and “entertain” audiences with a short attention span.
As a result the sudden call for pathos at the end seemed a tad unconvincing. I suppose if Louise was so damaged, her earlier high spirits could have been self-defence. But if this play was on a journey it was to an unsignalled destination and spent a long time circling the airport before an ultimately satisfying if rather forced landing.
