Ever have one of those Saturdays where you simply can’t be
bothered? Hanging out with your mates, playing footy, none of it has any
inspiration for you? You just want to mope around, watch the tellie, do some
washing and pretty much that’s it.
That’s the predicament we find Liam (Liam Maguire) in when
he tells his mate “Solley” (Adam Sollis) to bugger off in the opening minutes.
Yes, the play allows for the actors to retain their own names, one of many
quirks. For you see, Liam is about to spend the day preoccupied with three
women and a surly cat. Not in any conventional sense mind you, oh no.
Liam brings images from his television set to life; recalls
memories about his parents, notably his mother (Alexis Lane); reminisces about
his first love, Harriet (Harriet Davies); and pines for his most recent
girlfriend, Kirsty (Kirsty Marillier) who he inexplicably broke it off with
even though he loves her. Then there is the cat (Sollis again) who in typical
feline fashion treats Liam as an annoying pet. He is egged on by his
hyperactive alter-ego, Alfie (Alexander Frank) while Ben Kindon plays his
father.
In essence this is a series of set piece scenes that vary
from the realistic to the surreal, held together by a very engaging central
performance from Maguire. He is blokey, charming, mischievous, excitable but
also introspective when required. It was billed as “in yer face” theatre and,
sure, there is plentiful use of the C-bomb, simulated sex, partial nudity, and
other antics but I didn’t find any of this confronting as it’s wrapped in an
imaginary world with no real consequences. Not even the television inspired murder
re-enacted in Liam’s mind with him as the victim.
It is laugh out loud funny in moments – many moments actually
– and works better in its frenetic ‘dreamscape’ than in any realism depicted
such as Liam making breakfast or Liam getting dressed which is all very languid.
There is some attempt at poignancy in quieter scenes and even a little
pontificating about love but this felt slight when the real reason he ended the
relationship with Kirsty is revealed.
The acting is good and the cast certainly throw themselves
at this full tilt. Sollis has scene stealing moments not only as the cat but as
a telemarketer with cerebral palsy (the humour is politically incorrect and
deliciously black at times); Lane gives a spunky performance as the Mother; and
Frank literally jumps out of his skin in a very physical performance. Davies
unveils a superb singing voice in a key sequence and is fearless in one of the
raunchiest scenes involving a toilet seat and, well, two other people. Marillier
is an enticing Kirsty who Liam impatiently waits to call while Kindon has the
least flashy role as the father.
Highlights are a show stopping musical number where the
lyrics could most politely be described as ‘colourful’; the whole telemarketing
sequence which starts off as a verbal exercise where Alfie cajoles Liam into
abusing the caller only for Liam’s mother to announce the telemarketer has
arrived in person… in a wheelchair with some lovely sight gags and appropriate
humiliation; the surprising appearance of the mother in an unexpected place as
Liam does his laundry; Sollis’ disdainful and surly cat; and there is a lovely
use of a working shower of sorts as Liam tries to understand his emotions
towards Kirsty. One of the stagehands (who are used as de facto characters)
even has a conversation with Alfie about her job which is all very clever and self-aware.
I can certainly say I laughed throughout but I found the
play as a whole uneven and occasionally perplexing (carrots anyone?). Ironically it works best
when it’s not depicting realism at all. It’s the inventiveness and sheer
craziness of Liam’s interior world that is fascinating. If the point is we can
find the fantastical even in the most mundane of things then it hits its mark
but that didn’t seem to gel with the conclusion to the relationship drama at
the heart of this.
Written by Scottish playwright Anthony Neilson and Directed
by Anthony Skuse, Realism is on at The Roundhouse Theatre until 19 June.
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