MOREAU – The Drayton Arms’ Theatre

MOREAU, the debut production of Exciting Stories, is a contemporary re-telling of H.G. Wells’ horror classic The Island of Dr. Moreau which explores themes of ‘memory, therapy, identity, rebellion and ultimately, hope’. Writer and director Phil Stewart and co-writer H.S. Fernandez have crafted a compelling, evocative, and philosophically intriguing script which (for the most part) well balances abstract and challenging concepts with grounded characters.

Beginning with a powerful, almost animalistic piece of physical theatre, courtesy of movement director Luca Villa, MOREAU never lets the energy drop, keeping the audience equally engaged in scenes ranging from quiet reflection to a brutal operation. This is in no doubt due to the stupendously energetic performances of the cast. Jimmy Roberts plays our protagonist, Edward Prendick, and is given the unenviable task of regularly and suddenly switching between portraying Prendick as a mild-mannered man wishing to return home, and a haunted individual facing the asylum. Roberts rises to the task admirably and provides a moving and visceral performance. The rest of the cast, Olivia Revans, Jack Simpson, and Natassha Fuentes, all play multiple roles. I was impressed by the ease with which they adapted different dialects and physicality to suit each character. Especially when the play runs at such a fast pace, this is no mean feat. All the actors showed a remarkable commitment to every role they played which in turn allowed the audience to embrace the more fanciful moments of the story.

That being said, MOREAU suffers from many of the typical ‘growing pains’ found in debut productions. On the practical side, numerous beats of action took place downstage, with the actors sitting or lying on the floor. As such, anyone who was sitting near the back couldn’t see what was happening. This problem could have been avoided if the action had been blocked only a couple of feet further upstage which, given the size of the space, would not have been an issue. Similarly, Bernardo Hita’s sound design, while suitably atmospheric, was occasionally overpowering, which made it hard to hear some of the dialogue. I also felt more could have been done with the lighting, designed by Connor Divers. While there were occasional moments in which the lighting and sound design provided an immersive experience, such as when the characters are climbing an electricity tower, it was mostly fairly basic. Incorporating more flashing effects, for instance, could have heightened the sense of overpowering anxiety and fear. Although there are of course always certain restrictions depending on the lighting rig available.

These are, however, minor flaws that are easily fixed. The more pressing matter, to my mind, was the lack of ‘less is more’ direction. For instance, in almost every moment of heightened tension, of which there were many, the actors started shouting. And at a certain point that simply ceases to be an effective method of eliciting an emotional reaction from the audience. A sinister threat delivered with quiet menace is, for example, generally more powerful than shouting the same line. It is also notoriously difficult to annunciate when shouting and, while the actors mostly did a good job, a few important lines were lost.

The dominant ‘big and bold’ approach was a particular shame because the occasional moments of subtlety were so effective. One of the most powerful moments of the play came when Olivia Revans, who plays both Prendick’s therapist in the present and the evil Moreau in the past, takes Prendick’s hand as his therapist, only to immediately switch persona and order Prendick to be shot. It was a small moment, but it perfectly demonstrated Prendick’s troubled mental state and inability to separate between two time periods. He can be reaching out for support one moment, only to be facing a gun the next. I wish more of these beats had been included.

Overall, MOREAU is an ambitious, exciting, and immersive piece of theatre. The sadness is, with a few small changes, it could have been spectacular. Nonetheless, I look forward to seeing what comes next from Exciting Stories. This was certainly a promising debut.

Reviewer: Ben Pearson

Reviewed: 10^th November 2024

North West End UK Rating: