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The Cock Tavern Theatre and Good Night Out Presents
Brooklyn
Photo courtesy of Felix Kunze
by Rose Martula
Directed By Russ Hope
Cock Tavern Theatre
10 – 26 Sept 09
a A review by Mike Miller for EXTRA! EXTRA!
The idea of forgiving a close friend or relative for an unforgivable act never gets old, does it? Especially when you surround the subject with such colourful characters and plot as Rose Martula has in her world premiere of Brooklyn. The opening of this play has you with ‘Holy Shitballs!’ as we enter a scene of fast-paced foul mouthed dialogue between a lower class-Brooklyn raised teenage brother and sister, Brian and Lindsay. Brian and Lindsay are trying to team up to kill a rat in their apartment, but this task becomes easily diverted as the two jokingly tease the other’s fear of killing the rat. The situation inspires Brian to confess that sometime ago in their past he killed her hamster, Timmy, and that Timmy did not die naturally as Lindsay had thought. Through comparing his deed with that of hers stealing from a local mini-mart Lindsay reluctantly forgives Timmy, and we are exposed to the young girl’s sense of empathy and amnesty by the end of scene one. Scene two, puts us in a role reversal situation as Lindsay is parenting the Father, Saul, a cocaine addicted, beaten and depressed drone. Scene two is the remainder and majority of the play and has all the qualities of the first scene: endearing, jovial, tender, and humorous, but it gets darker. And the cussing, the teasing, the empathy and amnesty -- and even the hesitation to kill rats set the scene for an unexpected horrific twist that will leave you saying ‘Holy Shitballs!’ And when you’re watching the performance you feel like you’re the fourth wall of the apartment. I think this is due to Malwina Chabocka’s use of levels and spatial arrangement in her set design. The Cock Tavern Theatre is just big enough to get an adequate house size, but not lose the intimacy needed for this piece. This good night out isn’t provided by writer and director alone, the cast is just as entertaining. Michael Goldsmith (Brian), performs with the ease of an acting giant, which I have no doubt he will grow into quickly. Jud Charlton, who plays Saul, the Father, moves with so much intensity that he trips himself up and you’re not sure if the actor’s made a mistake or if it’s all part of the act, and you don’t care, because he’s holding on to you. And Jessica Ashworth, who plays Lindsay, is sweet and intelligent, the voice of reason. Russ Hope, the director, does his job well in directing a premiere as to not get in the way of the writing, but shines through a lovely transition between scenes one and two where we see all three characters isolated in their own specific world, a tiny moment of a bigger realization in the play that its tough to break out of our own world and into someone else’s, even under the same roof. I would encourage everyone to break out of their own world and join Brooklyn’sbefore September 26th.
Photo courtesy of Felix Kunze
Box Office: 08444 771 000 http://www.cocktaverntheatre.com/
Tickets: 12£, 10£ concessions
Cock Tavern Theatre 125 Kilburn High Road
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ry Couzens 