Finborough Theatre – until 29 September
Reviewed by Adam Craddock
3***
In 2018, the year of the centenary events to commemorate the end of the 1st world war, I think Finborough theatre have found the perfect time to revive Tony Harrison’s classic play “Square Rounds”. Square Rounds is based all around the path of how simple scientific experiments and thought led to the discovery of chemical weapons and the havoc it heaped onto the trenches of The Great War. We meet six of the most important scientists and inventors in their fields and through the use of verse and rhyme we discover their thoughts and demons over what is happening and what is to come.
Although I wasn’t the biggest fan of the shows text and the actual book of the piece, there were some exceptional performances within the cast. Letty Thomas gave a great performance as Hiram Maxim/ Sweeper Mawes, showing two very different aspects of her skill as an actor, one more characterful piece and one more of a thinkers part. Mawes was rather funny, with her strong “Cockney Geezer” portrayal and great physicality. Eva Feiler was good as Justus von Liebig, with great energy in her part, although sometimes this did get in the way for me in being able to follow what was going on. Amy Marchant was very strong as Hudson Maxim, with a cocky swagger that well suited this part and some great control of the stage, holding the audience in the palm of her hand as she revelled in the limelight. She bounced well off Thomas as her brother and the relationship between these two characters came across very strongly. Philippa Quinn was good as Fritz Haber, with a great feel of the off their rocker eccentric physicist going on and some really strong subtle mannerisms to aid her part, although like Feiler I think she sometimes let her energy get away with her. Gracy Goldman did well as Haber’s real life wife Clara Immerwahr, showing some great control that balanced beautifully with Quinn’s eccentricity as Haber and fabulously portrating the voice of reason in their confrontation scene. Rujenne Green also did well as Sir William Crookes, with a great control and use of the audience almost as her lecture space, where she would pass on to us the truth of her science and the knowledge she possesses.
Square Rounds worked fairly well in the very intimate surroundings of Finborough theatre, with a good use of its limited stage space and good use of projection and AV work. There were a few points of direction that I didn’t fully understand why they were done like that but this didn’t hamper the enjoyability of the piece for me. Square Rounds as play is a very heavy watch and, while it was very well received back in it’s day, I think times have changed and theatre is at a different place now. So while I did find it enjoyable, I won’t be rushing to buy another ticket.