Review: YEN, Octagon Theatre Bolton
Winner of the 2013 Bruntwood Prize for Playwrighting, Anna Jordan’s Yen makes a return to the North of England at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre, in association with Divided Culture Co., before moving on to make the play’s Newcastle debut at the Alphabetti Theatre. This production is directed by Divided Culture Co.’s own Connor Goodwin, and the creative team also includes Jess Gough as assistant director.
The play centres around two brothers, sixteen-year-old Hench and thirteen-year-old Bobbie, who live alone in an apartment with their dog, spending their days watching porn and playing violent video games. Occasionally, the pair receive a visit from their diabetic alcoholic mother, who sometimes turns up passed out in their front yard, but only seems to come when she is looking to borrow or steal what she can to make some money. Neither brother likes to take proper care of their dog, Taliban, which is noticed through the windows by a neighbour Jenny. Then one day, Jenny decides to pay the brothers a visit to check on the dog’s welfare, and this new person in their life allows Hench and Bobbie to discover more about the world.
Jordan’s story explores the brotherly bond of two young teens that when left to live alone seem to have been separated from civilisation and become feral in nature - a trait that is highlighted in scene changes with Goodwin’s direction to have the boys move in an animalistic manner. The first act feels a little lacking in pace and doesn’t seem to have much sense of direction as to where the story might progress to, but the story makes more sense in the second act, although a significant event in the story does seem to come a little out of nowhere.
All four cast members give strong performances and bring Jordan’s characters to life. Particular stand out performances come from Jonny Grogan as Bobbie, who brings bounds of energy to the role making his portrayal of a young teen with ADHD very believable, and Vicky Binns as Maggie, the mother of Hench and Bobbie, who demonstrates great range in her characterisation, showing Maggie’s vulnerability in contrasting yet naturalistic ways. There are several times throughout the play when the performances of the cast members aren’t able to be fully appreciated as the majority of the scenes have been staged with the actors either sat or lying down on chairs, the bed, and sometimes the floor, which in a space like the Octagon’s studio theatre means that the audience’s view of the actors in these positions is heavily restricted.
Set design for this remounting of Yen is quite simple yet effective. It could be quite easy to get carried away littering the stage in all sorts to create the messy apartment of two teenage boys, but instead Divided Culture Co.’s set has kept the space fairly bare, with the exception of a single bed, a lamp, a chair, a tv, a window frame, and just enough posters and clutter to give the impression of the type of apartment Hench and Bobbie would be living in without it overwhelming the stage.
Anna Jordan’s Yen may not be the easiest watch, in terms of its content and the way it’s structured, but Divided Culture Co.’s remounted production features brilliant performances from its cast and some interesting, strong direction from the creative team.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Jess Dalloway
Yen plays at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre until 13 September, with further info here.