This Will End Badly
Location: Southwark Playhouse
Date Seen: 22nd January 2016
Seen With: 3 Friends
Understudies at This Performance: N/A
Summary
In
recent years I’ve seem some fantastic shows at the Southwark Playhouse which
inspired this visit. This Will End Badly is a one man piece which had a sell
out run at Edinburgh
Acting
Ben
Whybrow is the sole actor in this piece and succeeds in being engaging
throughout. He breaks the fourth wall and talks to you as if you are his
ex-girlfriend, friend or general member of public whilst maintaining eye contact.
I personally found this unnerving but it was worth getting that feeling as an
audience member. Each persona felt real
and didn’t feel forced or fake. Each one was delivered with equal amounts of
conviction and I truly believe the vulnerability, anger or euphoria that the
character was feeling.
Music & Songs
When
you enter the theatre space, a medley of Duran Duran songs is playing and
another track features later in the piece. Unfortunately I don’t know the
specific meaning of these particular song choices and would have been one of my
questions at the Q&A if I had been able to attend one. If anyone does know,
please leave a message in the comments below.
Choreography
I
have classed all my comments with regards to movement in the direction section.
Direction
Clive
Judd’s direction is what makes this piece come alive in tandem with Ben
Whybrow’s acting. The changes of pace removed your whole concept of time as
after the hour show was up I went through varying thoughts of it feeling like a
long time or no time at all. Each persona of the male character is given a
unique way of moving and speaking. I thought again that this was very clever in
reflecting the constant mindset of someone with depression or anxiety and how
one minute you can be positive and happy and then suddenly for no particular
reason slip into feeling like you’re stuck in a negative pit and can’t get
out.
Set/Lighting
The
set is a simple raised platform which is tiled and features a toilet in the
corner. The toilet is significant due to our man’s chronic constipation he is
experiencing after breaking up with his girlfriend. The lighting is clever
throughout as I noticed as the character slipped deeper into his depression the
lights got darker and in a moment of euphoria, the stage was flooded with
light. There is also a sole light bulb raised above the set. To me this
represented the character’s consciousness and the way it is either on, off or
flickering reflects his state of mind at that specific moment.
Costumes
My
friends and I had a discussion after the show about whether Ben Whybrow just
turns up and performs in the clothes off his back. What we were getting at was
that the clothing was general day to day wear and I think this was significant
on the fact that depression and suicide can happen to any one.
Stand Out Performances
With
Ben Whybrow as the sole performer, he obviously stood out and I’d love to see
him again. But credit really has to go to the whole production team on this
piece for making this come to life and being something I will remember vividly
for a long time.
Show to Show Comparisons
I’ve
never seen anything like this so cannot make any direct comparisons however
what I can say as is I had a real emotional response to this piece from Ben’s
performance and no play has ever done that to me before in such a way. What I can compare it to is my own experiences
with anxiety as the constant changes of through expressed through the acting
and direction, felt very real in how you brain can over think situations and jump
from one thing to another.
Would I Recommend?
Yes
– definitely. I was surprised that the Friday night show I went to wasn’t sold
out as this really was superb.
Overall Verdict (Out of 5 Stars):
5 Stars
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