Jack Studio Theatre – until 1 December
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
Just how far would you go to get your dream home?
First Knight Theatre’s production of Philip Ridley’s Radiant Vermin takes that question to unbelievable extremes in this dark, dark comedy. Jill (Laura Janes) and Ollie (Matthew John Wright) are an ordinary couple expecting their first child. Stuck in a flat on a notorious estate, the sudden offer of a dream home is one they can’t turn down. When they see the rundown area and see the state of their new home, they are certain that it is a practical joke. The arrival of the mysterious and all-knowing Miss Dee (Emma Sweeney – full of calmly malevolent menace – think Satan’s Supernanny), convinces them that it is the right choice, with Ollie putting aside his nagging doubts and suspicion for the sake of their baby.
The government scheme they sign up for gives them a free house and removals, but they must renovate the house themselves. When the couple discover the quick and easy way to magically renovate each room, they are horrified, but soon convince themselves that their dream home is worth it. They even develop more efficient methods for stress-free and humane renovation as their homeless renovators become less and less human to them.
Ridley skewers consumerism and social hypocrisy with sublime skill and the cast bring his fine script to life with amazing energy. Staged as the couple’s confession/explanation of their actions, Wright and Janes act out the major events of the past 18 months in front of a white screen. There are no props and no scenery. The two actors must carry the show on their own, which they do with consummate ease. As mild-mannered Ollie turns into a killing machine, Wright keeps the character’s neediness and inherent sweetness to the forefront, even as he commits heinous acts for his family. Janes give a fantastically layered performance as Jill – sweet and god-fearing one minute, then manipulating Ollie by stating that they are doing all of this for their baby (who’s obviously flicking through designer catalogues in the womb). Jill’s speech where she swerves from insisting she lives by her Christian values when thinking about the homeless to spouting hate and bile about them being lazy, useless vermin is judged brilliantly and feels as if you’re witnessing a rant down the pub. The garden party scene is flat-out hilarious, with Janes and Wright portraying the multiple characters in the increasingly fast-paced chaos without a slip. Each of the characters is clearly defined and the audience is left in exhausted awe of the duo’s talent.
Radiant Vermin is a deliciously dark comedy staged with impeccable timing around the Black Friday hysteria. The only thing you really need to buy this week is a ticket.