Sunday, April 4, 2010

Brief Encounter- Kneehigh Theatre

I'm going to make a confession. A lot of times, I don't really like going to see plays. So often, the experience ends up be a trial just to sit through. I get bored. I am overly critical of the acting, the script, - everything. I can't go and just enjoy something. A lot of times I'd really rather just watch a movie- because there's a higher chance I'd enjoy myself and usually movies are cheaper.

Now, I'd heard about Brief Encounter probably a couple months ago. I'd heard there was this British company called Kneehigh and they were really physical and awesome and they had this show that was coming to the Guthrie and if I had a chance I should go see it. But the thing is I never have time to do anything and I'm broke and I really don't like slapping down $25 bucks for rush tickets for something that I might enjoy.

But then a couple of days ago I was in rehearsal for my Redeye works in progress piece, where I'm working juxtaposing realism with abstract movement. Maggie Scanlan, my director said that I really ought to go see Brief Encounter, because stylistically it was doing some of the things that I was trying to do in my piece. She told me she had already seen it a couple times and was planning on seeing it again. "Just see it," she said. "You really need to see it."

So I rallied my friend to come with me, and we went last night. While we were in line we ran in to Maren Warde and George McConnell from Bedlam and they said they heard the same thing we had- that this was a show that was not to be missed. Even as we were walking down to our seats (front row rush seats- awesome) the usher told Maren that it was his favorite show that he's seen this season.

I was completely floored by the production. I kind of hate when people use the phrase "the magic of theatre" but that's what it was. Magical. I was literally swept away from my seat and carried with the actors on their gloriously imaginative story.

What I loved about the play was how simple it was- it created these surprising moments with impeccable detail. And for the most part these moments weren't created with hugely complicated set pieces or technical feats. A crumpled piece of paper became a rolling dust ball, for example. Or suddenly all of the actors would begin shaking and we knew that the train outside had arrived. (There were a couple of technically awesome things too- like the movie screen made up of slats that actors could disappear into which was pretty rad.)

I just loved the actors- particularly in the ensemble. So physically alive, so fearless, they were all so... specific is the best word I can think of. There wasn't a moment that wasn't meticulously planned out- and I don't mean that in a bad way. I appreciated Annette McLaughlin and Beverly Rudd's comic abilities. It's so rare that women get to play roles with such comic opportunities, and both of them were hilarious. I was also really impressed with Stuart McLoughlin who played multiple characters and I didn't realize till the end that all his parts were played by the same person.

As for Hannah Yelland who played Laura- there were things I didn't like about her performance. She had a certain tension that I found unbelievable- particularly in contrast to Milo Twomey's Alec, but what i did appreciate was that she shifted effortlessly between straight acting and abstract movement. She would embody emotions physically. Swept away in a metaphor of water- she was a beautiful mover and really drew me in.

It's not like the play is about anything super profound. It's just a love story after all. It's a story about infidelity. (In director Emma Rice's program notes- she says that Noel Coward in writing about this forbidden love affair was speaking to his own experiences as a gay man, which I thought was interesting.) But it was the way that Kneehigh told the story that got me. I'm not exaggerating to say it gave me hope in theatre again. It made me want to strive to work harder- so that I can create as original, imaginative work as this company has done.