With a pile of rubble forming the centrepiece of the performance area, this is a dark and intense hour-long two-hander showing life and death amongst the dregs of modern urban society. The characters are a young brother and sister who recount in gruesome detail the deaths of their parents, filling their narratives with vivid descriptions of Dickensian-style grotesques. Dennis Kelly’s writing is rich, almost poetic and the images created are deeply disturbing, yet it is filled with morbid humour and passion, even an eventual sense of optimism. Amidst the debris of ruined lives, new life emerges and new hope. The production is blessed by two staggering performances from Harry McEntire and Leila Mimmack who bring out all the horror and despair of their characters’ blighted lives and instinctively mine the rich seam of humour running through the writing. Two potential stars have risen from these ruins.
Parformance date: 28 April 2014
The Beast's Pen 