Review: BRIEF PLAY ABOUT RAGE, Omnibus Theatre
The actors are already on stage as the audience enters, accompanied by the scrape of broom noises and the slow pulse of a cello. It immediately suggests an immersive, sensory experience, and that promise is fully realised.
Valerie and Hugh (Samantha Begeman and Jad Sayegh) are waiting for a guest to arrive, though to say they have mixed feelings about her would be an understatement. The guest, Nell, played by Clare Stenning, is one of Val’s oldest friends, and from the outset the play begins questioning what friendship really means to these characters: the obligations it carries, the resentment it can breed, and the social pressures that keep certain relationships alive long after they should have ended.
Nell is spectacularly lacking in self-awareness, both excruciating and hilarious to watch. It is perplexing to witness someone so openly disruptively crashing into what first appears to be a perfectly ordinary couple’s dynamic. But of course, appearances deceive…
The more we learn about these three people, the more entangled they become, and any easy hero-villain narrative quickly dissolves. That seems entirely the play’s intention: to provoke, then provoke again.
The writing is funny, daring, irreverent and gloriously unpredictable. The first two acts feel sharp, structured and briskly paced, before the final act pushes everything a step further into a kind of escalating madness that becomes impossible to look away from.
Live music runs throughout, helping to shape the atmosphere alongside beautiful light design by Francis De Lima and heighten the tension. It adds another layer of unease to a production already rich in mood.
The performances are the essential pillars holding this chaos together. Each actor remains utterly committed, grounding even the wildest turns of the script and keeping the audience fully engaged. Their conviction ensures the absurdity always feels justified.
If there is a slight weakness, it is only that the dialogue is so dynamic and beautifully written that the monologues occasionally feel less potent by comparison.
This play leans into surrealism while retaining the bones of kitchen-sink theatre, which is no easy feat. It is difficult to categorise, and it may not be for everyone, but for those willing to go with it, the journey is gripping from start to finish. Bold, unsettling and brilliantly executed, it demands to be seen.
**** Four Stars
Reviewed by Beatriz Do O