Dick by Adam Kinneen. The Drayton Arms Theatre, 153 Old Brompton Road, London SE5 until 26 April 2025, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.
Photo Credit: Next to Nothing Productions.
Dick by Adam Kinneen. The Drayton Arms Theatre, 153 Old Brompton Road, London SE5 until 26 April 2025,
4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.
“The while damn thing.”
First of all forget the awful title which suggests this is another show in which personable young men remove their clothes and at which occasionally so do the audience. They have happened at this theatre in the past, although the everyone naked nights were never the press night. Here five young persons have reached the age of 26 and somehow life is passing them by, something is missing, they don't know what and they are scared, angry and quarrelling. Maybe they all want the undeniably handsome Ruby (Frederick Russell), maybe Noah (Joseph Lynch) wants something unattainable – or somebody. Bailey (Andi Bickers) seems intent on exercising control over them both and River (Max Brennan) appears to want Ruby but unable to express that desire until a deeply touching moment when they sit together in silence – and it is a daringly long one – until a hand clasped on an arm is responded to. It is all about love, death of youth and the whole darned thing I think because at times one does get lost in the goings on which require the players to endlessly change their clothes – the set contains racks from which hang shirts, dresses and coats – but the costume changes are modestly achieved. It is long – an eighty minute first half, and nearly an hour for the second one in which the object of desire and protection – Ruby – appears with what look like two black eyes or maybe it is just stress. Something, which passed me by, had gone seriously wrong.The versatility of the cast is manifest, the obscurities of the play tantalise and DICK, title apart, is just what one wants to see in a fringe theatre – something you will talk about afterwards, will argue about and just possibly learn something from. Why does Bailey humiliate Ruby into licking the sole of her shoe, what was River doing all that Dad dancing for that opens the evening, and why is Cleo (Nina Fidderman) so protective towards Ruby who seems to be her brother. It may shock, the language can be strong, but Kinneen as director, although possibly a little too self indulgent – some cutting would help – has staged it very well and gets from his cast five fine performances of a text which must have been hell to master.
Cast
Joseph Lynch – Noah
Andi Bickers – Bailey
Frederick Russell – Ruby
Max Brennan – River
Nina Fidderman – Cleo
Creatives
Director – Adam Kinneen
Prodiction and Costume Designer – Katie Shores
Lighting Designer – Harriet White
Production Electricians – Joe Bloodworth, James Denny
Sound Design – Polly Dacam
