Everything Theatre Reviews, interviews and news for theatre lovers, London and beyond
Summerhall – Old Lab
A fascinating theatrical thriller that uses cinematic languages to expose the bias in crime investigations. Summary
Rating
Good
February 2018: a young woman has been missing for over sixty hours and Cameron Andrews (Jamie Ballard) – CEO of the company she works for – has been called into the police station for a “routine investigative conversation”. She is the second company employee to become a victim of crime and officers believe that the two cases are interlinked.
The action is set in a room with only a table and two chairs, where young detective Ruth Palmer (Bethan Cullinane) is due to carry out the interrogation. We find her initially discussing with her superior (John Macneill) what investigative approach to use. An undertone of insecurity on her part is immediately noticeable and we subconsciously start distrusting her skill.
As the interrogation begins, live cameras rigged around and under the table project details of the two characters onto the back wall. Ruth’s fingers insistently tapping on her knees lead us to believe she’s nervous. A close-up of Cameron whilst he answers a difficult question has us wondering whether he’s lying. These borrowed cinematic languages aren’t often seen on stage, where audiences would expect more enhanced gestures and reactions. From a practical perspective, it would be interesting to know how much they actually add to the play, if anything at all, compared to their cost and logistics involved.
There’s a resemblance to The Silence of the Lambs in this theatrical thriller: a race against time to find a killer, a young female detective with big shoes to fill and a male dominant figure who tries to play mind games with her. It also takes inspiration from the famous case of Russell Williams, a well-regarded Colonel of the Royal Canadian Air Force, who eventually confessed his murders after several hours of questioning (you can watch it on YouTube). Despite an interesting pedigree, the plot teeters on the edge of credibility. There is a scene towards the end, when a rope suddenly appears, which undermines all attempts at plausibility made until then. Strands of gender-bias and criticism of the patriarchy are also added for good measure, but never fully explored.
Both Cullinane and Ballard do their best to embody their characters, but their lines are stiff and, as a result, the acting seldom feels natural. It is hard to forget that we are watching a play. However, albeit a tad rudimentary, Jamie Armitage’s first play has great potential, first and foremost because it dares to go off the beaten track.
Written and Directed by: Jamie Armitage
Produced by: Ellie Keel Productions
An Interrogation plays at EdFringe 2023 until 27 August, 1:10pm at Summerhall. Further information and bookings here.
