Review: 'Dorian'

by Kat Ronson.

Before reading our review of 'Dorian' why not check out our exclusive preview of the production here.

I entered the barn excited as three actors stood in precarious and stylised poses dressed in slick black and white. The set was quite stark and followed the theme of black and white. The audience was immediately drawn to the nine television screens at the back of the stage, which played the dual role of producing backdrops to scenes as well as being the infamous Cathode Narcissus -a truly innovative approach. The play begins with three narrators introducing the characters on stage. Other than this job, I did not see any other use for the narrators and the script was somewhat less innovative than the setting.

The first note of triumph is with Hayley Thompson, who should be commended for her excellent choreography. The movement sequences broke up parts of blocky dialogue and I found myself looking forward to the next bit of choreography. I feel without the arrangements the performance would have fallen flat.  This notion was prevalent in the second act where there was less movement and considerably less use of film, in comparison to the first half which started with vigour and was almost flawless. I would have liked to have seen this creative genius sustained throughout.

This leads me to think that a more distinct direction would have been beneficial. This is reflected in many aspects of the production such as acting style and costume. Many actors seemed to be taking different approaches to the script from farcical, exaggerated portrayals to toned-down, naturalistic performances. The cast worked well individually but did not quite gel as an ensemble. There were three actors dressed in black and white and the rest of the actors were dressed in their character’s costume. Consistency through all the costume would have diminished any confusion and would have amplified the desired effects. A decision needed to be made; stylised black and white or realistic character costumes? The actors in black and white had multi-roles and so a blank canvas seemed apt, but this could be interpreted as their roles having less importance; which is disappointing.

Helena Clark being the only female in a cast of men and having a multi-role part was one of the strongest actors. Her portrayal as Fergus was comical and gave the play a light-hearted lift. Although Clark, in reality is a pretty, petite girl, she portrayed Fergus to be a haggard and grotesque old woman very convincingly; an extremely difficult task with no costume or make-up to help convey her age. A great performance came from Ryan Hall playing Henry Wotton one of the more farcical performances from the cast. He also provided some humour and in the second half showed a vulnerability to the character that was not present at the beginning of the play. He thought about his character’s journey well and this shone through. There were a few awkward interactions between characters. In particular there was a moment when Dorian, played by Connor Abbott, sat on Henry’s knee which looked and felt incredibly uncomfortable.  The comical performances were not the only highlight to the acting; Jonny Glasgow played Basil Hallward as a wonderfully awkward yet passionate artist which was very sensitive and endearing. One of the characters I connected to the most.

Technology was at the forefront of this production, with music, film and lighting used to produce dramatic effect and less reliance on the substantiality of the acting. There were severe technical issues that needed to be addressed, with actors not being lit for whole scenes, sound being too loud or too quiet at times and abrupt finishes to music. Scene transitions were sometimes seamless but mostly messy and were done by the three actors dressed in black and white. There were also many parts of the play where the trio were cramped in a corner of the stage waiting to come to change the scene or to be ‘extras’ in party scenes;  again providing a note of insignificance.

Overall, this is the sort of theatre I would like to see more of in the Barn. Director, James Soldan has pushed boundaries and used technology in remarkable ways.  Adapting the book and directing it himself was a brave and ambitious move. I would have enjoyed his adaptation to have ended the performance on a more dramatic and dark tone than it did. The first half was breathtakingly imaginative but sadly the second half needed a lift. Sometimes the Barn was not the ideal setting that could give this performance and concept the theatrical prowess it deserves. However, anyone who enjoys artistic, creative theatre and wants to see something with a fantastic, dark story should see Dorian.

Catch the full audio review on YorWorld, coming soon to the ((URY PLAYER))