Bonnie and Clyde at Theatre 503

Bonnie and Clyde at Theatre 503

20 January, 2011
by: JoSuthers

A highly visual piece of graceful theatre about the ins and outs of love and conflict.

Set in 1930s America, Adam Peck’s Bonnie and Clyde at Theatre 503 delves into the very human element of this classic tale. Fairground, the theatre company behind this intelligent, exciting and visually engaging production, believes theatre is “born out of our need to share our experiences of the world – to relate to and connect with other people”. They certainly reflect this notion in their completely original take on a warped, criminal version of Romeo and Juliet. Star-crossed lovers, indeed.

The play stems from the very simple idea that we’re all human: we’re all driven by desires – a need to be anything but ordinary. The action focuses on the last remaining hours of the life of this infamous couple, and the combination of dialogue, poetry, music, movement and design conveys the psychological, and beautifully tragic nature of their demise.

The story unfolds in a barn during the Great Depression, and the hardship of the times subtly seeps into the drama. The pair survives on canned goods and media attention – most of which is fabricated. As Bonnie reads the press’ familiar and flamboyant depictions of their (questionable) chaotic criminality, the couple act out the scenes laid out before them in black and white.

Pride, guilt and anger unfold as the realisation that their number is up creeps into their consciousness. Making the front page is about all they have left, apart from tinned ham. By Clyde’s own admittance: “it doesn’t feel like there’s nothing much to look forward to any more”. The atmosphere is haunting, mesmerising and encapsulating.

In their solitary world, their relationship is strained to say the least. But they clearly love each other. And – forgetting the true nature of the Bonnie and Clyde legend – their love is almost innocent. Child-like. Pure. With an absence of sexuality, Bonnie seeks Clyde’s intimate touch – to no avail. She questions; “what if we’ve already said goodbye and not even noticed?” The dynamic between the lovers is explored on a number of levels, from heartache to hope. They reminisce about the past, and argue about their future burial arrangements. It's an intense, dream-like performance, which is both moving and disturbing. The feelings induced are heightened by both the musical and visual components of the production. It is beautifully set, and the lighting design captures the emotions, the times and the inner-workings of the characters' minds.

Peck’s writing seamlessly combines violence, humour, passion and frustration, whilst the actors move with a grace that breathes substance into the text. Under the direction of Tid, Artistic Director of Fairground, the play becomes a visually spectacular piece of beautifully lit physical theatre. Catherine McKinnon as Bonnie and Eoin Slattery as Clyde convey chemistry and raw, emotional clarity on stage. The drama is relentless – highly energised and focused, coupled with consistent dramatic tension, dispersed occasionally by bursts of humour.

I leave the theatre feeling dazed – and my heart strangely aches for them. I find myself making excuses for the unlawful shenanigans and meandering morals of arguably one of the most infamous criminal pairings in history. This is theatre that challenges the very way you think.

Bonnie and Clyde runs at Theatre 503 until 5th Februay.

Image credit:Farrows Creative

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JoSuthers