Everything Theatre Reviews, interviews and news for theatre lovers, London and beyond
This revival of Simon Stephens play from 2003 remains just as relevant 20 years later, and is a joy to witness. Summary
Rating
Excellent
Being familiar with Simon Stephens’ plays, I was very much looking forward to One Minute, written two decades ago. The first thing you notice are two females on either side of the stage – Catherine (Imogen Mackenzie) lying down and Anne (Reshma Morris) sitting on a chair, looking forlorn. Waiting for the show to start, I found the music from The Stooges’ self-titled album from 1969 fun to listen to.
One Minute tells the story of a young girl, Daisy Schults, who disappears from a busy London street. We follow events – which span a year since her disappearance – told through a series of characters – the detectives investigating her disappearance, DI. Gary Burroughs (Lee Lomas) and DC Robert Evans (Frederik Lysegaard), witness Marie Louise (Imogen Davis), the child’s mother, Anne, and Catherine, the barmaid who befriends Gary Burroughs, offering him a much-needed person to vent to.
A series of voiceovers mark the various months, January through to November. These work well as markers to move the plot along. Scenes are short, tense and dramatic, as the various characters come into conflict with each other and find it increasingly difficult to cope with the pressures of a lost child and the investigation. One cannot help but empathise with the plight of the individual characters. Emotions and feelings are heightened, and they speak honestly about their professional and emotional relationships.
Many themes are present that feel as relevant now as they did at the start of the century – police cutbacks along with the stresses of the job, alcoholism, mental health, crime, as well as friendship, loyalty and trust. The monologues are particularly effective in providing a snapshot of the grim reality of London life – such as Catherine’s visceral, beautifully-delivered monologue recounting how she travelled home on the tube late at night and the feeling that a man was following her – “There is phlegm on the floor, and you know it’s men who’ve spat there”.
What I love about Stephens plays is that they provide a snapshot of London, through the eyes of his characters – we hear mentions of places and landmarks that are all too familiar, but we also hear about the grit and grime. His characters may swear – DI Burroughs reprimands the novice DC Roberts for doing so – but they talk honestly, truthfully and with humour, revealing their feelings and telling others exactly what they think of each other. Gary’s monologue about seeing a beggar on the street is brutal and unexpected; “I wanted to beat the shit out of him”. At the end of the play, they have all grown close to each other, Robert telling Gary he likes him and his honesty, having gone through the ordeal of the lost child.
I simply wished I could have seen more of the fine actors, as some staging choices meant that I could only see the back of DI Burroughs’ head in some scenes, as he sits on a chair amid the audience, which affords a view from only one side of the theatre.
This play is a joy to watch, keeping me gripped from start to finish. It is both funny and moving, with the actors delivering stand out performances. A fantastic piece of theatre that will stay with me for a long time.
Written by: Simon Stephens
Directed by: Demi Leigh
Produced by: Working Actors Studio & Lee Lomas
One Minute plays at King’s Head Theatre until 26 March. Further information and bookings can be found here.
