The Royal Court on Sloane Square is putting a different play each week, written by new and upcoming playwrights, with the same cast. This week, running until the 6th of July, is Mint. The play, written by Clare Lizzimore is one which is impressively strong even without considering the harsh schedule demanded of the cast.
It is the story of Alan, imprisoned for an unspecified crime, told through visits from his family spaced over the length of his incarceration. The blend of comic and tragic writing is perhaps the strongest point of the production. At times however the contrast is very stark, with the second act having a notably more sombre mood than the first. The vision is strong, but the bridge between the two elements fails at some points. The dialogue is witty and quick in places, however it still maintains a strong sense of emotion throughout. While the actors, notably Alan Williams playing Colin, the father of Alan, show their strengths in different aspects of this two tone play, the cast overall, and especially Sam Troughton, who plays the lead, carries both angles of the play off well, exhibiting both the humour as well as the angst of their characters strongly at all times. Angela Terrence, playing the younger sister Nicola, is the chief mark of time, transforming her character from young school girl to college graduate. Though she over exaggerates the postures of youth, this was perhaps a necessary measure since she had few lines as her older self. Her physical acting was enough to show how much time had elapsed from when we first meet Alan.
Time is an another character in this play. The passage of years, the chalking off of time served and the echoing of a ticking clock are constantly being referenced. The production and staging of the play also bear this out. Alan is housed in a cell, and his interactions take place like that of the cuckoo in a clock. The room he spends his life in is literally opened up for the few times he can communicate with his family and the audience. Housed in a place where the ticking of a clock is all that matters the staging is used to make the audience empathise with Alan's situation. The past, unknown, hangs over the entire length. It casts a long shadow and gives the play a mystery which the audience tries to piece together and unravel. It is a cute hook which works well.
My reading of this play is probably by recently finishing 'The Sense of an Ending' by Julian Barnes, a novel dealing with the past and how time erodes and exaggerates. I do feel that this play does, however, carry something of a similar sensibility. As with any piece of art there is not completely correct reading of it; that will differ depending on the audience member themselves. As the play progresses, and a bit part becomes the antagonist, we do see how forgiveness and coming to terms with one's, and one's family member's, past is the main thrust of the play. It is subtle in it's approach and I do not want to give the impression that one is bludgeon about the head with this idea.
Overall I greatly enjoyed the experience. The funny parts were funny, and the emotional parts did carry real weight. Given the brief rehearsal and preparation time it is all the more an admirable achievement. A great play which was riveting. I only thought about the acting afterwards, something which is always a mark of a strong cast. It's only on for a short period of time, so I'd suggest you go see it as soon as possible.
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