King’s Theatre, Edinburgh – until 19 October 2019
Reviewed by James Knight
2**
The Night Watch is adapted by Hattie Naylor from Sarah Waters’ novel of the same name. Weaving the lives of multiple characters together during and post-World War II, we follow, in reverse chronological order, how their lives affect each other over the years.
It is refreshing to see the lesbian relationships of Kay (Phoebe Pryce), Julia (Izabella Urbanowicz) and Helen (Florence Roberts) depicted with relatively little stigma from other characters. Of course all three must hide their sexuality – it’s the 40s after all. But to see a period piece that deals with homosexuality with positivity and optimism is uplifting to say the least, even if the actual relationships may not end happily ever after.
The reverse-chronology trope can be tricky when taken out of a literary setting – the first act’s introduction to characters were slightly confusing, and it was unclear as to whose story we were meant to be following. Kay is introduced first and then disappears quickly, leaving the audience to wonder how important she is – obviously in a novel, we can spend more time in the minutiae of her day-to-day life, but this is not so feasible in a theatre.
Once we eventually journey from 1947 to 1944, events and relationships begin to be clearer. The characters, ironically, seem to have more life and optimism during the Blitz than the aftermath three years later. This period however, comes with more disturbing scenes – one male character masturbates over a rape fantasy, which, in a play that has such progressive depictions of female characters feels jarring and uncomfortable not only for the audience but unnecessary.
Unfortunately, the performances are quite disjointed, at times seeming to present a heightened, almost stylised delivery, and at other times realism. This fractured nature throughout the play, coupled with the reverse-chronology of the storytelling distances, rather than includes the audience in the action. With a lack of homosexual relationships depicted in mainstream touring theatre, this was a chance here to turn that all around. However, this fragmented production falls short of the mark.