Different Perspectives - Library Theatre - 16/01/08 by
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Different Perspectives, the play presented by Hercules Theatre as part of RE:PLAY, the Library Theatre’s series of new short works shown last year in non-traditional venues in Manchester and Salford, is disturbing.
Chris Honer, the theatre’s Artistic Director admits to choosing some works that are startling and this one, written and performed by Marcus Hercules, certainly is.
It’s about a boy, Wayne, who has been brought up by his Jamaican Father, Pops, after his mother dies giving birth to him. He goes astray when he meets the wrong friends and becomes involved in the ruthless world of drug dealing.
The director, Benji Reid and film maker, Gino Evans have combined film which features the life of the son, and live performance which shows the situation of the father.
The play has pluses and minuses. One of the pluses is the remarkable use of film. At one point a door at the side of the stage opens and a figure stands there. Yet the affect is achieved on camera.
Another is the interaction of father and son though each remain in their respective mediums.
Both are played by Marcus. I had to admire the way he aged as the father. He conveyed well his love for the boy despite his son’s terrible lifestyle. Although the story was grim, there were some glimmers of humour when young Wayne and his pal got off with a couple of birds.
Unfortunately, the minuses spoilt it for me. Marcus, as the old man, spoke very quickly and I found it difficult to understand his West Indian patois.
But the worst thing, for me, was the gratuitous violence depicted on screen in minute detail. One couple walked out when forced to sit and watch a man’s eyes being gouged out and had I not been writing this, I’d have joined them.
And Wayne, himself, came to a graphically shown violent end. No, this was not my cup of tea. Had it been presented entirely on stage, it wouldn’t have been possible to depict torture in all its close-up agony. It was more of a one act horror film than a one act play.
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