A stark and honest look at the birth of conversion therapy and the devastating, lasting scars felt by those it was done to and those that loved them. Rating
Excellent
Savage starts off in glitzy solemnity. Music of the 1930’s plays and George, performed by Jonathon Nielsen Keen, stands as a stunning vision of a cabaret songstress — a symbol of a final ta-ra to what was once possible in Copenhagen before the grip of the Third Reich: to love and be loved by whomever you wanted.
Keen is beautiful and witty in this production. His character’s lines are poetic and sharply written, with pinging one liners that both summarise and strike at the exact emotional core and driving motivation of the play. George is written with a clear narrative purpose, distinct from the play’s other characters, who are likewise well executed in terms of their detail and purpose within the story.
Kerill Kelly as Nikolai Bergsen (victim to Mark Kitto as Dr Vaernet – the historical “inventor” of the conversion therapy), plays his role with vulnerability and skill. It’s a joy to have him on stage, watching him handle the demands of his role with ease. You may find yourself waiting in anticipation for his return to the stage.
The chemistry between Kelly and Matthew Hartley, in the role of Zack Travis, is warming to experience early on in the show and sets us up all too well for the awfulness of the plot to come. Hartley brings an American charm to this production and shines in his moments opposite Kelly.
This is a cast of effective performers who have been well placed all round. Tom Everatt as the General Heinrich handles drunken vulnerability brilliantly. Claire-Monique Martin, as Nurse Maria, provides the nurturing voice of an ally who is also only trying to survive. Simon Chappell, as Major Ronald F. Hemmingway, and again Mark Kitto as the Dr, are both fitting and effective in their roles as designers and contributors to the progression of conversion therapy.
This production is very successful; however, on review night, there are some moments of muddiness with the tech which overshadow the spoken dialogue, notably during the opening song. It would be best to decide whether it is to be sung or the music played. There is also a need for more variety and richness in the tactics employed by some of the actors as the show progresses. The second half felt a little less embodied compared to the first, but this may well have been a one-night experience.
Overriding all of this is a devastatingly moving tale of the effects of the atrocious idea that homosexuality is something to be cured.
Written by Claudio Macor
Directed by Robert McWhir
Produced by Lambco Productions and Josephine Buchan
Lighting Design by Richard Lambert
Music Compositions: Aaron Clingham
Costume Supervisor: Janet Huckle
Savage plays at the White Bear Theatre until Saturday 14 March.
