Earthquakes in London

An article by Richard    No Comments

After a busy weekend, I now find time to sit at my little ol’ laptop with a cuppa to write my thoroughly digested thoughts of Mike Bartlett’s Earthquakes in London at the National Theatre…

…It was brilliant.

[Show synopsis can be found by clicking here]

Let me just state that I am not a reviewer of any kind. I am a fan of theatre, here, purely to share my educated thoughts on a show. From the moment I entered the Cottlesloe Theatre I felt excited and ready for an experience. This eagerness to enjoy only intensified as the three-and-a-bit-hour time line of sixty years commenced. My focus was immediately tossed from end-to-end of the theatre with fast paced dialogue being darted across the space, split scenes galore, impressively rapid set changes and a performance to Coldplay’s Viva La Vida that still fills me with pure ecstasy just thinking about it.

Miriam Buether’s vibrant set compliments Rupert Goold’s direction almost seamlessly with the shallow in-the-wall set pieces only restricting the actors’ movements occasionally. The bar seating and standing areas anchor the juicy orange catwalk down perfectly with actors appearing amongst the crowd and sitting with us at times.

Howard Harrison had his work cut out to light the stage satisfyingly, but from where I was sat it seemed genuinely flawless. Dark in the right places, though never too dark. Add to this, Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington’s projection design filling in every nook and gap with insightful and pertinent images at every opportunity, and my eyes never felt bored.

Noticeable acting performances go to Lia Williams (voice support to die for and a clearly generous scene partner), Tom Goodman-Hill (pin-point comic timing) and Jessica Raine, who gave me great depth with what is potentially a broken-record character on paper. One other mention has to go to the exciting Bryonny Hannah, who’s physicality is questionably more convincing than a genuine fourteen-year-old lad. A masterclass in characterisation and enjoyment of the language that Bartlett offers the actors.

I could go on forever, dissecting each element of the performance, but there are only two things that really need to be said about this show:

• Rupert Goold proves again that he is a master in manipulating time and space, each time unafraid of the monstrous tasks put in front of him.
• Mike Bartlett has found a new way to deliver the seemingly trendy recurring message that the world is ending by focusing on the human aspect of the earth’s predicament.

Has Bartlett found the key to saving the planet? Maybe or maybe not. When all is said and done though, this piece of theatre is definitely worth a watch.

Plays until 22nd September 2010 at the National Theatre. Click here for more information on Earthquakes in London.

Under 26? Then go free with Entry Pass!

Richard.