Machinal
Directed by Natalie Abrahami
Almedia Theatre, London N1 1TA
4 JUNE - 21 JULY
Seats from £10-£39.50, we got ours for £5 each
Machinal is a 1928 play by American playwright and journalist Sophie Treadwell, inspired by the real-life case of convicted and executed murderer Ruth Snyder. Themes of societal pressure and anxiety run through the play and a reflected excellently within the staging and atmosphere.
The stage is compact, heightening the sense of claustrophobia which pervades the performance and seeps into every small space available. There is a slanted mirrored ceiling, reflecting all the action on stage, thus symbolising the alternative possibilities and how one small action can change the whole course of our lives. The mirror also gives the audience a physical image of Ruth’s life being literally turned upside down; therefore heightening the downfall and dismal outcomes of her actions.
One of the most impressive elements of the play were the supersonic scene changes, by far the quickest and most efficient I have ever seen. Although the stage was small, each scene contained a lot of props and furniture such as candles in a dimly it bar, or medical equipment on a hospital bedside. Scene changes were carried out whilst the audience were blasted with a blinding strip lights coming off two screens which closed in on the stage, once again symbolising the pressure placed on Ruth... all very Black Mirror.
When researching the play, the synopsis sounded incredible; filled with dark twists and oppressive drama. Whilst the script was fast paced, the whole play only lasting 1 hour 20 minutes with no interval, I felt the script didn’t do as much justice to the storyline as it potentially could have. I failed to empathise or particularly like Emily Berrington’s portrayal of Ruth Snyder and thought that the misogynist husband, played by Jonathan Livingstone was too likeable. Originally questioning the acting of the main characters, I soon realised that this was the best it could have been given the script, which was at times clunky and unbelievable.
Overall, the price we paid for the tickets was fantastic. Despite being in the back row, our view wasn’t obscured at all (with no one sitting in the two rows directly in front). You couldn’t quite see the whole mirrored ceiling effect, but all the main action on stage was clearly visible. For a price of a pint in the pub we stopped into en route we saw an artistic portrayal of one of the most controversial domestic crime cases. High points were the set and stage direction, low points was the content itself. The play was just the right length of time – any shorter and those who paid full whack would have felt hard done by, any longer and it would have felt dragging.
My advice would be to make of Machinal what you will if you can get your hands on some cheaper tickets, but I wouldn’t have paid £39.50, neither would I see it again.
OVERALL RATING: ***
https://almeida.co.uk/whats-on/machinal/4-jun-2018-21-jul-2018
