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Photos: Jack Western
I know how cliché it is to start a review by talking about the weather but, in my defence, it was very, very cold. Outside obviously, but also inside, so if anybody intends to come along to the next few days performances of A Slap in the Face, just one word of warning: don’t skimp on the clothing. I fully expected the snow, and freezing temperatures to have scared off most of the audience, and I may have been partially right; the DramaBarn was not at its busiest. But A Slap in the Face turned out to be well worth the effort, and the cold fingers.
An ageing actor that refuses to accept his limitations, this could be summarized as the basic plot of this play, written and directed by Toby King. But Charlie Williams (played by Alec Burt) has more to him than that. Set to the backdrop of the barely mentioned Second World War, this man gradually alienates most of the people in his life over the course of these two hours. He refuses to accept any theatrical role in which he isn’t the romantic lead, despite the fact that, at the ripe old age of 37, his time as a Romeo is over. He pushes away what we assume to be his agents Euan and Melissa (played by Peter Fisher and Leigh Douglas), he is a snob, womanizer, alcoholic. He is almost arrested, gets his best friend’s girlfriend pregnant, is slapped multiple times (as the title would suggest), has a few temper tantrums, and even sobs a little.
The setting is simple : a couch, a chair, a few tables, and a lot of scattered papers and clothes, giving a good impression of a bachelor’s pad. The costumes correspond to the period the play is set in, nothing too fancy or over the top (although the silk dressing gown was rather out there, as was the cummerbund). The lighting, similarly, was extremely naturalistic, staying in the same style for the entire play. No set changes, only one costume change, it was a simple set up, revolving around this one living room and its inhabitants.
On to the actual play then, and this is where things gets slightly tricky (or at least trickier). It definitely has its highs and lows, going from a farcical comedy, to a discussion on the virtues of the Second World War, and back again. With perhaps a few too many things going on at times, it could have done with a bit of paring down, and more time given to the perhaps more important issues in the play, as well as tying up the few loose strings left at the end.
The comedy is dark, and, at times, very witty. There are some laugh out loud moments, which are also thanks to the cast, and in particular the main actor, Alec Burt. Swinging amongst excessive highs and lows, it took him a while to find his feet, and there were moments when the performance could maybe have done with being a bit more naturalistic and less over the top, although that may be just a question of opinion. Having said that, over all, his performance was very impressive, the fact that he managed to keep his energy so high while spending approximately two hours straight on stage has to be applauded, and his character proved to be a good central point around which the other characters could evolve.
The rest of the cast were equally good, Anjali Vyas-Brannick made for a terrifying housekeeper whom no one in their right minds would dare disobey. Leigh Douglas, as part love interest, part devilish businesswoman, managed to convey both conflicting sides of her character and you could count on Peter Fisher as a reliable Scotsman, well grounded though a little slow. Peter Marshall, Ross Cronshaw and Fiona Kingwill also brought their best in their appearances on stage.
All in all this proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and if this weekend you can’t think of anything to do with your snowy evenings, then definitely give this play a try. Congratulations to all the cast and the director for putting so much effort into this piece of work, it really is worth coming along to.