Tag Archives: Olivia Darnley

“A Good House” at the Royal Court Theatre

Behind the important subject matter of Amy Jephta’s play is a strong comedy with excellent characters. When a shack appears at the edges of an upmarket housing estate the neighbours’ anxiety reflects wide concerns – especially relating to Jephta’s home of South Africa.

The twist is that while two of the couples who make up the community are white, the husband and wife they approach to help with an eviction order against their new neighbours are black. It is a simple scenario, and it is easy to imagine moments that would have more charge for an audience outside the UK. But the strength of the writing and plenty of detail aid credibility. If the piece comes too close to being just a vehicle for debate, it is a very good mode of transport.

There are three brilliantly written couples, each complex and wonderfully embodied by an excellent cast that includes Kai Luke Brummer, Olivia Darnley, Robyn Rainsford and Scott Sparrow. The observations about them are spot on and Nancy Medina’s careful direction makes the most of Jephta’s work. The arguments the couples have amongst themselves are, particularly, an insightful delight.

The stars, who the play spends most time with, are undoubtedly Mimî M Khayisa and Sifiso Mazibuko, who take the roles of Sihle and Bonolo. Both are wonderful creations. Despite being very different (their backgrounds are explored in depth), it is easy, compelling in fact, to respect them, and both performers bring them to life not only with integrity but with an eye to the excellent humour in the script.

Jephta has a brilliant way with class and race – both are satirised with cringe-worthy moments and full-on offensive remarks. A great effort is made towards balance, cleverly flipping between prejudices surrounding both. Is racism or capitalism the dominant evil? There are plenty of opposing arguments on offer. It does make sense that people care for their community, and it is obvious that they value their homes, but nobody has seen those living in the shack… we know nothing about them.

Money is the key, as the buck literally stops with house prices. There’s a fantastic moment for Darnley, whose character is an estate agent and whose exasperation is wonderfully well hidden. Jephta engenders debate, and her play is all the better for that. With a clear take on human nature and how identities are constructed – by ourselves and others – what’s built here is a sturdily constructed play that is worth a great deal.

Until 8 February 2025

www.royalcourttheatre.com

Photos by Camilla Greenwell

“Ugly Lies The Bone” at the National Theatre

Lindsey Ferrentino’s plays have received plenty of awards and, having worked for the Roundabout Theatre Company and The Public Theatre in New York, she is no stranger to prestigious venues. Still, it must still be an exciting coup to have your UK premiere on the South Bank, and surely her work has much to commend it, but it’s a shame this lacklustre piece doesn’t live up to the honour.

The scenario is powerful, a wounded war veteran returning home. The treatment includes artificial reality – the idea is to shock the system into forgetting horrific burns – so reaching for designer Es Devlin’s number, given her work on The Nether, was a sensible move. Devlin has delivered the goods, with projections on to an impressive set that’s part infinity cove and part model town.

Kate Fleetwood

Ferrentino’s characterisation isn’t bad, either. There’s the strong lead role of Jess for Kate Fleetwood – a flawless performance – whose indomitable spirit is saved from cliché by an edge to her humour that could have been pushed further. The men in her life seem pretty scrappy by comparison, but the roles allow Ralf Little and Kris Marshall to show some good comedy skills. Yet so overpowering is Jess’s part that, along with the character of her sister (another superb performance, from Olivia Darnley), the play feels as if it should focus on them, yet doesn’t quite manage to do so.

There are too many false starts around. The medical advances used to treat Jess are interesting, but explored superficially. Hearing but not seeing the scientist pioneering the treatment (Buffy Davis) is novel but alienating and starts to become dull. The time and location of the play – the end of the space shuttle programme in the midst of war in Afghanistan – could give us more pauses for thought but any claims or insight about either are lost. We fall back on a solid human-interest story that ticks along too slowly. Director Indhu Rubasingham does little to add pace, resulting in a disappointingly pedestrian evening.

Until 6 June 2017

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Photo by Mark Douet