A brilliant production, Heisenberg is a reimagining of Simon Stephen’s excellent play about relationships and their inherent uncertainty. Portrayed for the first time as a relationship between two women, we follow seventy-five-year-old Alex and the much younger Georgie in a story of an unlikely relationship that all begins when Georgie unexpectedly plants a kiss on Alex’s neck in the middle of a train station.
The quality of Simon Stephen’s writing is superb. His characterisation is full of knotty complexity and his dialogue is expert at pulling out all of the tensions between Alex and Georgie. For example, Stephens plays with the form of the characters’ conversations to show us who is in control, who is driving, who is comfortable, and who is not. Thus, it is Georgie who does most of the talking first, and Alex’s unwillingness to chime in with the conversation tells us a great deal about her before even taking the content of her words into consideration. This mastery of form is the true mark of craft here: Stephens uses only six scenes to achieve a dramatic transformation in his characters, all the tension in their relationship distilled to achieve an incredible emotional intensity. Beyond the form, Stephens finds brilliant surprises to drive the story forward. A moment where Alex suddenly bursts into tears is especially powerful and he also leaves us with some phenomenal lines: “We hold very different perspectives on experiences we believe we’re sharing, don’t we?”
Katharine Farmer’s decision to reimagine the play as a relationship between two women is an excellent one. By moving away from the much more commonly staged heterosexual relationship drama, we are able to come to the play’s themes, which are deeply universal, with fresher eyes. Farmer’s staging choices are equally successful. The tension in space between Georgie and Alex in the early scenes is excellent. As Georgie is trying to break down Alex’s defences, she paces, while Alex remains anchored to the spot. It is a neat physical representation of who the characters are – lively, more chaotic, versus, quiet, more subdued – as well as where their relationship is at that moment.
The performances from both Jenny Galloway as Alex and Faline England as Georgie are more than equal to the work of the creative team. Particularly exceptional is Galloway whose withering responses to the more upbeat Georgie are especially funny early on. Watching Galloway’s journey as Alex is riveting, and the emotional depth she brings to the character is phenomenal. Her portrayal of Alex’s long-held grief is especially good. England is a perfect foil to Galloway and handles a difficult role exceptionally well. Beginning as something a bit like the infamous ‘manic pixie dream girl’ stereotype, England quickly shows us the cracks, blemishes, and truths of Georgie’s character, and makes us feel the unbearable longing of her desire to find her estranged son.
To match all of this, Hugh Sheehan’s sound and Rajiv Pattani’s lighting design are subtle but well placed. The play is not one that moves in broad brushstrokes, and thankfully the choices are careful and supporting: we see early morning light pass through Alex’s blinds as she and Georgie lie in bed talking, we hear the clinking of cutlery and glassware as they navigate difficult conversations in public settings. Stronger choices are reserved for scene changes and provide contrast and power us into the next scene. This is a deft and perfectly pitched sound and lighting design.
Heisenberg is a brilliantly written play expertly realised and is another success for the Arcola as part of a wonderful spring/summer season. I highly recommend it.
Heisenberg is playing at the Arcola until the 10th of May – https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/heisenberg/
Reviewer: Ralph Jeffreys
Reviewed: 14th April 2025
North West End UK Rating:
Rating: 5 out of 5.
