Caryl Churchill’s text is daunting. Without names and stage directions, it could be anybody talking and the characters could be anywhere. 16 actors play over 100 people in 57 scenes in 110 minutes. The scenes are very short, many lasting two/three minutes and they all take place in a small, white-tiled and brilliantly lit cubicle.
It’s the ultimate playlets for people with short attention spans. Some sketches are more interesting than others. It’s a bit hit and miss. It’s like watching a revue. You are always wondering what is coming up next. The speed at which the change-overs have to be done must put enormous pressures on the actors and the stage management. The transitions, covered by a black-out and a loud intriguing soundscape, are incredibly fast and smooth.
Director James Macdonald and designer Miriam Buether and the cast (which includes Linda Bassett, Susan Engel, Susand Woodward, John Heffernan, Justin Slinger and Amit Shah) must have had a lot fun during rehearsals making decisions about the roles, locations, furniture and props. They have done Caryl Churchill’s extraordinary kaleidoscope proud.
All human life is here. Fathers, mothers, children, husbands, wives, lovers, young and old, and they are all attempting to make sense of what they know and failing. A recurring theme is clinical depression. One of the most amusing moments has a couple in a crowded cocktail bar having to shout to hear what the other is saying. The sketch which gets the loudest laugh is the one about what a table is called in different languages.