Review: EVENING ALL AFTERNOON, Donmar Warehouse

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

The Donmar Warehouse has a rich history of staging brand-new productions from notable playwrights, and last night was no exception as they premiered the latest work from Anna Zeigler, best known for Photograph 51 - Evening All Afternoon.

A pale blue stage - bare, bar a pair of wooden chairs ominously lit by a single bulb. A ladder, and a shelf with various elements (a vase, an elephant tusk bookend and a pair of wooden rhinos) complete the set, foreshadowing their eventual relevance in the story. The two chairs are almost anticipating the battle that is about to commence between the two characters, with the lighting helping solidify a sense of tension.

Delilah (Erin Kellyman) and Jennifer (Anastasia Hille) are the two protagonists we follow throughout the performance. Delilah is headstrong, abrupt and to the point: she knows exactly who she is and what she wants from life and to her, Jennifer is merely in the way and not a part of her plans. On the other side is Jennifer: Delilah’s soon-to-be stepmother, she is someone who is unlucky in love but has seemingly found her soul mate in the constantly elusive, and never seen John - Delilah’s father.

As the play progresses, the warring pair are consistently bickering and arguing with one another, despite Jennifer’s best efforts to connect. Their conflicting personalities run deep, from subtle clues like the costumes (Jennifer is kitted out in an unexciting shirt and jacket, whereas Delilah wears a colourful jumper and flare-like jeans) to the speech patterns - Jennifer stumbles over words, mutters and is elusive, whereas Delilah is forceful and direct. This works very well in order to highlight the differences between the two and showcases just why they refuse to be amicable.

As the tension grows, so does the sense of a loss of reality. Sharply supported by Natasha Chivers’ vibrant lighting, whose smart choices help to cement the fractured minds of its characters. Delilah and Jennifer are both dealing with grief as both have recently lost their mothers, and the addition of hanging light bulbs works tremendously well to represent the ghosts of their pasts, without coming across as gimmicky.

The plot almost subverts expectations, not going the way you are expecting. One minute it's somewhat formulaic and then it's twisted into a different reality and is all the better for it. As the relationship develops, it is clear that they will almost certainly not see eye-to-eye. Both Jennifer and Delilah have an amazing ability to rile the other person up. Jennifer snoops, poking her nose where it isn't welcome, whereas Delilah steals those precious items from Jennifer’s past, almost poking the bear, or rhino, and wanting confrontation.

Hille is a phenomenal presence on stage, treating the audience to a truly naturalistic performance, rooting Jennifer firmly in reality as a woman doing everything in her power to connect with her stepdaughter. Her complexity is shown through stellar execution, line delivery and body language exhibiting a repressed individual and it is brought to life by the talents of Hille. On the other hand, Kellyman is subtle and restrained in her portrayal of Delilah. Showcasing an ability to enable simmering rage and a gradual shift into madness is deftly carried out. What starts off as a one-sided display soon develops into an all-out meltdown.

The powerful performances are anchored by the script. Zeigler crafts a concisely entertaining story that zips by whilst also retaining a sense of urgency and exploration. The conversational aspects of the script are as good as the direct delivery to the audience, with many sub-plots explored with equal measure. Nothing is written by accident. Without giving too much away, many of the plot points circle back to deliver a memorable conclusion that features an array of moments that were previously alluded to.

Evening All Afternoon is a sharp, funny two-hander that not only showcases the grounded central performances, but also a script that is brimming with charm and wit.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: James Springthorpe

Evening All Afternoon plays at London’s Donmar Warehouse until 11 April, with further info here.