Circa Theatre
May 26-June 23 | Reviewed by Helen Sims

FINALLY this year a play that is challenging and confrontational in terms of its subject matter and as a piece of theatrical performance, yet still feels entirely complete. Plays that present difficult moral questions with an accompanying refusal to present easy answers seem to be popular recently, but the production of Blackbird at Circa reaches a new level through its beautiful script, intelligent direction and performances, and astute design. All of these elements combine together for an unsettling yet satisfying experience. I was gripped for the entire hour and a half.

Blackbird is the story of Una’s confrontation of Ray (now known as Peter), fifteen years after they had a sexual relationship when she was twelve and he was forty. Time, maturity and the interference of third parties have muddied the memory of events for Una, and it seems her quest is as much about clarification as it is for personal vindication. The play is, however, far more than an exposition of past events. From the moment that Ray pulls Una bodily into the workplace lunchroom we witness a complex interplay of power, desire and recrimination between the two of them.

According to the blog created for this production of Blackbird, (blackbirdatcircatwo.blogspot.com) the blackbird symbolises temptation, particularly sexual. It is at once a beautiful creature with an enticing song, and a bad omen, associated with the myth of Saint Benedict’s illicit desire for a young girl. What seems to have followed in the realisation of the forbidden sexual desire in this scenario is disorder and deception in all the lives it touched, especially those of Una and Ray, who were at the centre of the relationship.

We can never be sure whose account is more reliable. Both actors deliver lengthy, mesmerising accounts of their final day together before discovery and the intervention (and judgment) of society. Una’s account is problematised by the sense that she may have an imperfect memory of events due to her age at the time and the extensive counselling she evidently went through after the arrest of Ray. What she perceived of at the time as love has been made into something ugly and immoral by the judgments of others, most notably her parents. The unreliability of Ray’s account is far more subtle and difficult to pin down. He seems at many points sincere and still genuinely unable to account for his attraction to Una at such a young age, but this is undermined at other points when a more slippery side of his character is tantalisingly revealed. The responsibility that he purports to take is revealed as entirely superficial – to some extent he still blames Una for what happened between them. Perhaps she is the blackbird of the title – the irresistible sexual lure that leads to downfall.

The performances of both Nick Blake as Ray and Rachel Forman as Una are fantastic. They deal well with the use of English accents, which reveal a lower middle class background that seems to come with its own baggage. The energy and chemistry between them is forceful, even when they are on opposite sides of the stage. They chart a range of emotions without loosing the realism needed to make the play successful. Blake in particular is incredibly subtle and complex – at the end of the show I still couldn’t quite decide whether I thought he was entirely reprehensible or not, even in the face of an ambiguous indication that history may be repeating itself. Harrower leaves this ambiguous in the script, and I was glad to see that the production remained true to this, resisting the urge to place an easy conclusion on a play that is otherwise free of clear judgments as to right or wrong.

Walking into Circa 2 you are confronted with a sterile yet disordered atmosphere. John Hodgkin’s set, littered with both organic and inorganic rubbish, perfectly evokes the starkness of the industrial lunchroom and reflects the mental debris of the protagonists. This is enhanced by Marcus McShane’s subtle yet effective lighting design – a mix of blues and stark white light create a harsh and de-personalising tone. A backdrop that casts eerie and ambiguous shadows is used to great effect throughout the show.

I wish I saw productions of this depth and quality more often – where all the essential elements combine, and although it is obvious that a significant amount of work has gone into the production, it doesn’t have to strain to impress us. Even though resolution is not reached, the ending is highly effective and not in any way disappointing. It led many of the audience into post-show discussion on opening night. Definitely not for anyone wanting a cathartic, light piece of entertainment, but for those who prefer theatre to confront and challenge, a must see.

See also:
» Blackbird (Reviewed by Simon Sweetman)