Consent, The Crescent Theatre Birmingham Review
Written by Katie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Many moving parts make up this intricate courtroom drama, which reflects on a seemingly cut-and-dry rape case. When barristers Tim and Edward go head-to-head on opposing sides of the case, the complexities of the law start to seep into their own lives. Written by Nina Raine, this play maps the legal process onto the everyday, holding a magnifying glass up to the consequences of marriage, passion, and raw human emotion.
This is definitely a show for an intimate audience, with sensitive themes combined with heavily naturalistic acting making it quite an uncomfortable watch at times. The actors did a stellar job of holding that tension and keeping an electric undercurrent in this demanding piece.
The complexity of this script cannot be understated, and at the helm, director Andrew Cowie handled it with cool assurance. As Edward, Scott Westwood was impossible to look away from, managing the transition from narcissist to vulnerable husband expertly, and seesawing the audience between who we were on side with until we felt seasick. His relationship with Grace Cheatle, as Kitty, was fiery, intense, and incredibly exciting to watch, moving between passionate love to deep-seated animosity. Although some of the shouting matches in Act 2 could have been executed with a little more subtlety, there was no doubt the courtroom had this time come into their own bedroom.
Charged with equal energy, James Davis Knapp (Jake) and Perdita Lawton (Rachel) played well into the resentful relationship of husband and wife with a history of disloyalty. I was particularly impressed at how quickly Knapp managed to get the audience hating him through his upper-middle-class isms alone, and subsequently the guiltless way he handles his affair.
The rest of the cast worked seamlessly together to drive the narrative with compelling performances all around. Katie Merriman (Gayle) gave a harrowing account of her treatment at the hands of the legal system; Mark Payne (Tim) portrayed his character's wishy-washy way of fighting for justice effectively, and Steph Urquhart (Zara) drew some unnerving parallels to the roles of both lawyers and actors.
This piece was cleverly staged with minimal set, giving us a blank canvas to paint the scene in our imaginations. Stylized with bright white, it put a spotlight on the action, emphasised by the watchful eyes of the remaining cast, who continued to observe throughout, considering their own stance on whether to prosecute or defend. With six chairs off stage and six on, we can imagine this is representative of the twelve seats of a jury.
If you are thinking of going to see this show, just be aware it is a heavy one. Not only is it full to the brim with infidelity, sexual violence, and sleaze, but you can add in a whole load of classism too. There is a humorous bone in the body of the work, which makes the visceral and somewhat unsettling topic more palpable, and you could feel the relief in the audience whenever they were afforded a giggle.
These mutually destructive narratives were the perfect critical eye on our legal system, and it was fascinating to learn so much from ‘the other side.’ The play does a lot to comment on our current society, particularly with the viral #MeToo movement being so prevalent, and I think that’s what made the show that much more tricky to watch. With exceptional performances, a compelling script, and astute direction, this is a clever tale of two worlds colliding, where we, the audience, are the jury. The nuanced portrayal of characters and the interplay of tension and relief make it an unforgettable experience that really makes you question: Is morality innate or learned?
At Crescent Theatre until 15 June.
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
