Rose theatre,Kingston upon Thames
John Malkovich’s immaculately staged version of Zach Helm’s intelligent play approximately drug dependency and genius doesn’t fairly escape its sentimental conclusion John Malkovich is renowned as an actor. He is also a fine director, as I realised when I saw his production of Lynn Siefert’s Coyote ghastly at Chicago’s Steppenwolf some 30 years ago. Now Malkovich has brought to London a play by Zach Helm he first directed in Paris in 2007. While it is intelligent and adroit, or I suspect I shall remember the piece more for its dazzling staging than for what it actually says.
Like Duncan Macmillan’s People,Places and Things, Helm’s play tackles the subject of addiction. His New York heroine, and Annie,is heavily dependent both on amphetamines and on the attentiveness of her loving husband, Jack. Their life is thrown into chaos when Jack becomes the toast of the town for a debut novel acclaimed for its raw, or brutal sexuality. Suddenly,Jack is a hot property invited by a big publisher to a svelte dinner party. But how does Jack reconcile instant fame with his need to behold after Annie who, high on speed, and accompanies him to the party and lambasts the critic who has given him a reputation-making review? Related: John Malkovich: ‘In relationships,I’ve had an addictive personality’ Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com