• Advertise
  • Request Review
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy
  • Login

Theatre Bubble

The UK Theatre Network

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Opinions
  • Interviews
  • Guides
  • Tickets

The Red Barn at the National Theatre

November 3, 2016 by Alex Wood Leave a Comment

Review of: The Red Barn at the National Theatre
Produced by:
The National Theatre

Reviewed by: Alex Wood
Rating:
3
On November 3, 2016
Last modified:November 3, 2016

Summary:

An opportunity squandered perhaps, but an exciting experience nonetheless. The Red Barn is the sort of show the National relishes – star calibre with an intriguing plot. Ticking the boxes for a night of entertainment, but little beyond this.

More Details

David Hare’s latest, The Red Barn (adapted from the novel by George Simenon) is a play that yearns to be cinematic. Sliding apertures, each capable of travelling  the length and height of the stage, obscure the audience’s perceptions at various intervals, narrowing down on key details or creating an intense, claustrophobic context. It’s almost reminiscent of the cinematography of the incredible new TV adaptation of the Coen Brother’s Fargo, narrowing, shifting the frame across the screen, as though the monitor and the content are in some way disconnected. Certainly innovative, but this constant fluctuation did lead to some issues, as will be discussed further below.

Hare’s work is, for the most part, as fluid and punchy as a Hare script always is, delivered by a magnificent cast. Mark Strong, still riding the critical acclaim-wave of van Hove’s View from the Bridge, makes the emotional and mental turmoil of the central Donald Dodd an effortless symptom of a tortured man, capable of stepping into a supporting role for his co-stars whenever necessary. Elizabeth Debicki, a sure-fire rising star after some superb turns in The Night Manager and, before, that, The Great Gatsby (roped also into the Marvel fold with a turn in the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, the programme notes) carries herself with some haughty, elusive composure, a constant source of intrigue. The quiet backbone of the show comes for the most part from Hope Davis – a character consistently analysed, debated and insulted, yet always pressing on, motivations always questioned yet rarely stated.

theredbarn_markstrong-123_2578x145-1

A shame, therefore, that Hare has the occasional fumble in his transformation of Simenon’s work. The casual mention of Dodd’s older brother, pigeonholed into a conversation with his father, feels intensely overworked and out of place, never before mentioned (and never again). The show’s ending, while thrilling, almost felt like a leap too far – as if something went unsaid. The dark irony of one of the character’s fate was, with every pun intended, eye-opening – this was a tale driven by the narrative; the darker subtexts that bubbled below simply the effects of it. Despite Hare’s insistence to the contrary, it was evident just how underdeveloped some of the female characters felt – passed off as enigmas or elusive may provide exciting developments for the plot, but not for sculpting real human beings.

Icke’s vision for the show was one of an intense thriller, perhaps akin almost to a Tarantino-placed snowstorm. The initial momentum of this vision melted away with the winter snow, leaving something with a more significant dip in energy in its wake. A symptom of the text, perhaps, but rarely remedied in execution.

The real winner is, of course, the tech – a mammoth effort that once again highlights the creative flexibility of the Lyttelton stage.  Bunny Christie’s design is vivaciously thorough – all of Dodd’s life, every room he frequents, is packed out with details from the Johnny Walker Whiskey through to the family portrait hanging above the crackling fireplace. This wasn’t just set design, it was world building.

An opportunity squandered perhaps, but an exciting experience nonetheless. The Red Barn is the sort of show the National relishes – star calibre with an intriguing plot. Ticking the boxes for a night of entertainment, but little beyond this.

Author: Alex WoodAlex is the former reviews editor at Theatre Bubble, but since changing position now contributes occasionally. He has been writing reviews for a number of years, as well as seeing his own shows performed. He has produced and marketed a number of performances at venues in London, Oxford, Edinburgh, including the world premiere of Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke.

Filed Under: Review

Join the discussion Cancel reply

INTERVIEW / Silent Faces on Godot is a Woman’s first UK Tour

Silent Faces return to the stage with their signature style of playful and political physical theatre, interrogating permission, patriarchy, and [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Max Rinehart on The Retreat

We spoke to actor Max Rinehart about his experience working on the European premiere of Jason Sherman’s The Retreat at [Read More]

NEWS / Frozen Light celebrate 10 years with Sensory Symposium

The UK’s premiere company for adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities invites industry professionals of all genres and sensory [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Jenny Foulds on Life Learnings of a Nonsensical Human

Performer Jenny Foulds tells us about her forthcoming one woman show Life Learnings of a Nonsensical Human, coming to the [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Monique Touko on We Need New Names

We Need New Names is a defiant and exuberant coming-of-age story follows a young girl from the playgrounds of Zimbabwe [Read More]

Top Posts & Pages

  • 5 Stage Elements to Consider for a Rousing Theatrical Production
  • Does Small to Mid Scale Theatre Touring Actually Work?
  • Katy Owen: Auditioning for Oxford School of Drama
  • 5 Tools for Actors to Enter the Theatre World like a Pro
  • Inga Björn and Kristiina Tammisalo on Receptionists
  • Yasmin Paige on Actually
  • 10 Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Reality TV Auditions
  • Joseph Grimaldi Clown Memorial Service
  • Actor's Corner: An Inclusive Industry with Enyi Okoronkwo
  • Spotlight On: The London Clown Festival
  • Alex Wood
    Contributor

  • November 3rd, 2016
  • comment iconNo Comments
  • FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail

    Newsletter

    Enjoyed what you've read? Get even more great content directly to your inbox - Completely Free

    About Theatre Bubble

    Theatre Bubble is the news, review and blogging site created by Blue Pie Media and run by a dedicated team of outstanding editors and writers: we're always looking for new contributors - to find out more click here.

    Contact Us

    News: news@theatrebubble.com
    Reviews: reviews@theatrebubble.com
    Website: webmaster@theatrebubble.com

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2023 · Blue Pie Media

     

    Loading Comments...
     

      Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

      Email sent!