As the lights go out, a brilliantly committed cast lets chaos and laughter shine bright. Rating
Excellent
In striking contrast to Peter Shaffer’s Equus currently playing at the Menier, Black Comedy is an evening of dark farce built around a brilliantly simple premise. In a small London flat, sculptor Brindsley (Joe Bannister) and his fiancée Carol (Leah Haile) have borrowed their wealthy neighbour’s furniture – without permission – in an attempt to impress both a millionaire art collector and Carol’s father.
Then the power goes off.
Shaffer’s central premise remains delightfully clever: light is dark and dark is light. We begin in total blackout and, in a sign of how impressive the timing and choreography will be, the cast enter the intimate Orange Tree space in total darkness. It’s so convincing I genuinely wondered if they were using night vision goggles to get set up.
Then a fuse goes in the flat and the house lights come up. For the evening, whenever the lights are on and the audience can see, the characters are trapped in darkness. When matches are lit or torches appear, the lights dim for the audience. It’s a slapstick farce, done with such commitment and precision that it stays fresh throughout.
What stands out most is the timing. The script and Caroline Steinbeis’ direction understand exactly how long to play each moment. Over an hour of characters bumbling around in darkness never gets old. Enough changes and develops during the evening that the joke can be built on and on. Credit goes to physical comedy consultant John Nicholson, who with Steinbeis ensures the careful mechanics behind the chaos go smoothly. It’s an evening of chaos, physical comedy, and so much laughter.
The midpoint arrival of Brindsley’s other girlfriend Clea (the delightful Patricia Allison) adds another layer of chaos. Clea arrives with such confidence, immediately taking in the situation and asserting some control. What follows is a rapid escalation of cover-ups and near misses as the farcical screw tightens still further. Lighting design by Elliot Griggs is key here too, luminously (sorry, not sorry) delivering perfectly timed lighting changes designed so well that the audience easily falls into the rhythm, knowing exactly when and what the characters can and cannot see.
Steinbeis has assembled a cast that radiates commitment to the bit. Their choreography and chemistry are superb, and she handles the farce perfectly. Played in the round, it is harder to hide any prep or sleight of hand; the audience shines a light on every moment. What is impressive is that it does not weaken the comedy at all. We see the build-up to the gags and sees chairs being replaced. The characters are in the dark, but we are not – and yet it is still hilarious. The dedication from the cast holds it tightly together.
The performers throughout are fantastic. Bannister works hard, running around the stage, carrying furniture. Jason Barnett comes close to stealing the show as the refined and upright Colonel Melkett gets caught up in the farce. One particular gag with a rocking chair draws peals of laughter.
Their commitment was tested with an unexpectedly broken teapot on press night which threatened to derail the evening, coming close to breaking the cast – a moment of genuine chaos in an evening of carefully planned and choreographed chaos – but it was handled brilliantly and honestly feels like inspiration to be included each evening now. Black Comedy is a hilarious evening crafted with precision and control by a talented team. Seeing every moment of the setup manages to make it funnier. As everything unravels, the cast excel. It takes real skill to make something so coordinated look like pandemonium. This production is a wild and joyful ride in the dark.
Writer: Peter Shaffer
Director: Caroline Steinbeis
Assistant Director: Freya Griffiths
Set and Costume Designer: Simon Daw
Lighting Designer: Elliot Griggs
Sound Designer: Simon Slater
Physical Comedy Consultant: John Nicholson
Black Comedy plays at the Orange Tree Theatre until Saturday 11 July
