Kingdom of Earth at The Print Room

Kingdom of Earth at The Print Room

05 May, 2011
by: Naima Khan

Naima Khan review the last offering from the up and coming Print Room, a sexually and politically relevant production of a rare Tenessee Williams play.

From the second that hardened country boy Chicken slaps his own hand away from his crotch in the opening scene, director Lucy Bailey ensures we're prepared for just how sexually charged this story is. Kingdom of Earth – originally The Seven Descents of Myrtle – by Tenessee Williams is set in the Mississippi of the late sixties and centres on a property battle between two half-brothers: the effeminate, dying Lot, and his intimidating mixed-raced brother Chicken. As flood waters rise, they both anticipate the house they grew up in will be ruined and that Lot may not survive, in which case the house would go to his new wife Myrtle.

Significantly older than her husband, Myrtle is loud, funny and in danger of loving her new man-child a bit too much. Played by Fiona Glascott in an unforgettable performance that features a few, shall we say, 'classy' outfits, she has some superb lines. At one point she turns to dainty Lot and threatens in the most cheerful way: “you gotta mother complex and I'mma get it outta you”. It's priceless.

All three performances in Kingdom of Earth are solid, something to be credited to the actors and the director. But if you're particularly precious about Williams' writing, be prepared to appreciate the number of other plus points in this production of one of his less compelling works. For one, the show proves that theatre has a new rising star in Joseph Drake. Recognisable from his debut in the title role of Vernon God Little at Young Vic, his physicality in Kingdom of Earth is perturbing and I mean that in the best way possible. He writhes and gasps as his TB worsens, and all the while his wife is getting it on with his brother. It creates a disturbing family portrait.

For another, there's Ruth Sutcliffe's set design. She takes a huge risk by invading the theatre with what looks like a mound of dirt. In a place where three people at the fringes of society have gathered to fight, the set echoes their loneliness and the absence of a community. As the characters clamber over this earth pile trying to get at each other, scheming and lying, there's a sense of a loss of a civilisation that particularly resonates with a post-Katrina audience. The set is inspired by the photos of Robert Polidori and there's a stunning exhibition of his work open to the public before the play and during the interval.

The aesthetics are definitely strong here, even if the story is not. And Bailey's ideas on a more glamorous Myrtle and a dilapidated old house are a worthwhile take on a rarely produced play. Most importantly, she's made a feature of the issues that are relevant to an audience today' rather than dwell on what might have happened in Williams' time. It's a gamble, but in her hands one that pays off handsomely.

Kingdom of Earth runs at The Print Room until 28th May. 

Images: Sheila Burnett

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Naima Khan