The Sea Plays

Tuesday, 24 January 2012 - Saturday, 18 February 2012
Times : 14:30 - 16:30 19:45 - 21:45

Old Vic Tunnels, Station Approach, Southbank, SE1 7NN

How Much: £20.00 (Highest Price) , £12.00 (Lowest Price)

On arrival at the Old Vic Tunnels we're led into a giant roaring furnace where half a dozen men are shovelling coal into a roaring,  all-encompassing fire. It's one of the many design feats at the core of  Kenneth Hoyt's production of a trilogy of Eugene O'Neill's one-act plays, which are worth seeing for the set alone. Designer Van Sanvoort  recreates the claustrophobic bowls of a boat and a thoroughly unglamorous, ramshackle speakeasy with just enough room for his sailors and their machismo. 

Hoyt cleverly combines 'In The Zone' with 'Bound East For Cardiff' so that the dying sailor of the latter becomes one of the shipmates aboard the ammunitions-carrying vessel of the former, where the crew are becoming increasingly suspicious about one of their colleagues. Disappointingly, the acting doesn't match the design. In focusing on perfecting their accents, the cast trample over the script and fail to captivate the audience. However, their movement and the physicality they bring to their parts is compelling. In failing to focus on his words, they've unwittingly created a play with all the impact of O'Neil minus his words. I'd happily see this again, but next time, I won't strain myself trying to hear the script.

Naima Khan