Arcola Theatre, Studio 2 – until 21 December 2019
Reviewed by Riley Anderson
4****
The power of story never ceases to amaze me. Imagine a story over 100 years old still being as relevant today as it was at the time of its conception, exploring themes and elements of human nature that transcend time and can be condensed in to a book, a song or a 75 minute performance.
Amanda Lomas’s adaptation of Knut Hamsun’s 1890 novel Hunger is a perfect example of such a story.
Hunger is the journey of The Young Man (Kwami Odoom) who has moved to the city to pursue a career as a writer, and it seemingly begins quite positively, there’s an upbeat soundtrack that is matched by Natasha Harrison’s ‘hustle and bustle of the city’ choreography, but soon it becomes apparent we are at the beginning of this young mans decline.
Initially the show is nuanced, the minimal set makes room for a series of transitions between scenes that give us a sense of presence in the city. We meet a whole host of characters, multi roled excellently by Jessica Tomlinson, Archie Backhouse and Katie Eldred, who really flesh out the story and bring a sense of naturalism to the piece, as well as allowing us some light comic relief.
The tone of the piece get perpetually darker, the lighting become more intrusive, the characters take a more sinister tone, and the feeling of isolation presides through the auditorium as The Young Man becomes more and more detached from society. Unable to find work to pay his rent, he is evicted by his once understanding landlady, too proud to tell his his parents as he thinks they’ll brand him a failure, and too proud to ask his friend for help, he ends up on the street trying to navigate his way through a city that views him more and more sinisterly.
The play culminates in The Young Man meeting a woman who takes an interest in him. Wrongly mistaking him for a student who likes a drink and a good time, she invites him into her home in order to progress, and he decides to come clean and tell her about his situation, which in turn, results in her kicking him out, leaving him again, with nothing.
This play is undoubtedly relevant to today’s audience, tackling themes of appearance, pride, and ultimately rejection. Fay Lomas’s direction accentuates these themes and utilises all of the other elements of the production to shine a spotlight on The Young Mans physiological battle.