| A new play by Chris Szuca (and his solo debut as a playwright) and directed by Jodi Burgess (Secrets), The Box explores darker sides of romantic love through two plotlines. The first one follows younger Robyn and Andrew (Emma Stirling, Dan Burman) as they move in together, while in the second story we find the couple’s elder selves (Pat Garrett, Will Anderson) as older Robyn pays her former lover a visit. |
Given younger Robyn’s reaction to Andrew’s first surprise, seeing then that older Robyn has left Andrew doesn’t come as much of a shock. What could make less sense to some is how long it takes younger Robyn to do so. But for anyone familiar with psychological abuse, the length of time and gravity of the deeds that can happen before someone breaks free often defy logic. And thanks to Dan Burman’s fantastic embodiment of younger Andrew, blending caring warmth and understated charm with more dangerously unpredictable tones, and to Emma Stirling’s very moving, subtly restless incarnation of younger Robyn, the couple’s downward spiral is both believable and interesting to watch.
The other plotline, however, unfortunately takes some of the edge off. Given the very first tableau, it is quite clear from the start where older Andrew really is, and how the play will end (but I might have annoyed friends who saw 'The Sixth Sense' and 'Fight Club' with me, so take this one with a pinch of salt). In addition, the older couple’s story is more one of telling and reminiscing than showing and doing. Finally (and maybe due to the size of the stage and very minimal light design) the two couples are hardly ever on stage at the same time. As a result, entrances and exits often cut wonderful tension after certain scenes.
Given the extremes reached by both younger characters and the fact that we start the play when at least a big move has been made by one of the characters, I found myself craving for a beginning set earlier in the couple’s life together, and seeing less of their older selves in spite of Garrett’s and Anderson’s fine performances (and in spite of finding the concept of the younger/older double narrative incredibly cool). Maybe the two plotlines could find a more compelling cohabitation if the four characters remained on stage throughout, and with a light design that creates two worlds, almost haunting one another. This may also give a more pivotal place to the box in which Robyn keeps her diary, and which (as the title suggests) is an important element of the play (a lovely choice of colour for the diary and older Robyn’s jacket did move in that direction though).
Given the extremes reached by both younger characters and the fact that we start the play when at least a big move has been made by one of the characters, I found myself craving for a beginning set earlier in the couple’s life together, and seeing less of their older selves in spite of Garrett’s and Anderson’s fine performances (and in spite of finding the concept of the younger/older double narrative incredibly cool). Maybe the two plotlines could find a more compelling cohabitation if the four characters remained on stage throughout, and with a light design that creates two worlds, almost haunting one another. This may also give a more pivotal place to the box in which Robyn keeps her diary, and which (as the title suggests) is an important element of the play (a lovely choice of colour for the diary and older Robyn’s jacket did move in that direction though).
Whichever way this balance is found, vignettes of happier/earlier days would have pulled me in the story and in Robyn’s psyche a lot more, to probably punch harder as the play ends. The loftier the start, the bigger the crash.
Review by Sophie Martin.
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