King’s Head Theatre – until 2 February 2019
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
Atticist’s revival of David Greig’s weird and wonderful play brings the isolation and freedom of a remote island to a bustling London street. It’s quite a shock when you emerge from the theatre and hear and feel the commotion of a crowded pub.
Set in 1939, ornithologists John (Jack McMillan) and Robert (Tom Machell) have been sent by the Ministry to survey the bird population of a remote Hebridean island. With a month to complete their survey before their transport back to the mainland returns, the men are stuck on the island with its owner, Kirk (Ken Drury) and his niece Ellen (Rose Wardlaw).
Excited at the prospect of studying the elusive fork-tailed petrel, the two men still feel unsettled by the knowledge that their survey will probably be used in preparation for the impending war and are horrified when Kirk reveals the Ministry’s plans for the island.
Director Jessica Lazar confidently allows the story to unfold in its dreamlike way, with lots of physical comedy slowly giving way to mystical monologues and moral debates, but looming over it all is the island. Anna Lewis’s set is deceptively simple, with a rocky platform for external scenes and a circle of stones and warped wooden door marking the chapel interior. Christopher Preece’s sound and David Doyle’s lighting design create an eerily beautiful and stark atmosphere.
The realisation that on this outlying island where ‘pagans’ once lived, far from civilisation, society’s rules and regulations are meaningless comes quickly to the younger characters, and their exploration and pushing of social and sexual boundaries builds to a devastating climax as the petrels swoop above the island. Big issues are tackled but the mythical feel that builds throughout the play doesn’t dissipate. As Ellen revels in being free of her uncle’s strict rules, she becomes bold and wild, shocking John, who finds it hard to abandon all that he has been taught. Wardlaw and McMillan bring wonderful energy to their characters, McMillan is like a little puppy bouncing around trying to keep the peace at first and Wardlaw is spellbinding as she tells tales of the island. Robert takes great joy in observing and experiencing things, but appears to list rather than feel appropriate responses making him either a brilliantly focussed scientist, or a sociopath. Machell’s wide-eyed grin and intense delivery make you glad you’re not on the island with him. Drury commands the stage with his threatening, God-fearing character, and the ever-changing dynamics between the characters is fascinating.
An impressive production of this beguiling and intriguing play.