Blasted, by Sarah Kane, maybe one of the most horrifying theatrical experiences to sit through. The three person play that takes place in a single hotel room is both extraordinarily haunting and sad. Themes range from war to death, to sex and gender, to addiction and mental health. It is severe, harsh and completely overwhelming. There is starvation, the death of an infant and subsequent cannibalism. Male and female rape, both, vividly occur. And one character's eyes are gouged and eaten, in a vicious assault. It is an intense one hour and forty five minutes. A treatise on violence. But through it all we bare witness and come to terms with what human nature is capable of. Blasted proves to be, one of the most poetically charged commentaries on the worst aspects of the human condition and mind that we have ever seen.
The story follows a middle-aged journalist and a young woman who are held up in a hotel room while a war rages outside. It is a disconnected, timeless, yet vaguely familiar scene. As we follow their sordid relationship we are aware of danger lurking everywhere. In act two, the stakes rise when a severe and starving soldier enters and takes control, becoming the dominant character squaring off with our journalist. The final act is a cluster of intimate moments that will leave you aghast.
Part of what makes this production, of Ms. Kane's masterpiece, is the acting. Ian, our journalist, played by David Ferry emulates both the sadness and angry desire of a man trapped in a body and world he has no control over. His alienation has triggered a massive drinking problem and an obsessive, sometimes violent love affair with a younger woman. It is a physically demanding part, as well as a complicated and terrifying creation. And Mr. Ferry delivers with aplomb. The younger woman, Cate, is played by the fascinating, Michelle Monteith. Ms. Monteith seamlessly draws forth the many sides of the character, at times with almost manic force. But, behind it there is believability and confidence. She brings you to the brink and teeters. A compelling performance, in a stirringly written part. Dylan Smith, as the mysterious solider, also holds his own in this talented cast, although at times his accent makes him difficult to understand.
The set, designed by Julie Fox, is magnificent. The use of space is inventive and dislocating. In fact unlike other productions at Buddies the audience enters the theatre from the rear. Ms. Fox has utilized the depth by sectioning off part of the space. At first it seems as though it has simply been partitioned, but what is revealed is like the remnants of a catastrophic event. It begins with a swanky, sterile, hotel setting but becomes dark and derelict. The shift makes a profound impact . Furthermore, the sound. The effects used during the set change intervals can not be described as pleasant. In fact they are jarring and heighten the sense of time. A sort of sound torture. But it fits the mood, and adds to the impact of the show. It is well conceived and really nicely executed by Richard Feran.
Blasted is tense and captivating. Silent pauses grip scenes. Nothing is rushed and the outcome allows the spectator time to absorb what is being presented which is often harsh and thought provoking. In the dark, as scenes changed, you'd wish for it to be over, for the characters' pain to come to any kind of end. But during the scenes we were totally engrossed, fascinated by the downward spiral.
New Artistic Director of Buddies, and the director of Blasted, Brendan Healy, has chosen a highly complex and challenging second season opener, and we applaud him for it. The decision shows an academic awareness and passion for bringing intelligent, ground breaking, and fascinated works to Toronto's premiere queer theatre space. There have been comments about the show choice, and Buddies mandate as a queer theatre space. But certainly anything this brilliant and thought generating deserves the complement of being quite queer indeed.
Click the header for ticket information. Blasted runs until October 17th.
JH and LM
The story follows a middle-aged journalist and a young woman who are held up in a hotel room while a war rages outside. It is a disconnected, timeless, yet vaguely familiar scene. As we follow their sordid relationship we are aware of danger lurking everywhere. In act two, the stakes rise when a severe and starving soldier enters and takes control, becoming the dominant character squaring off with our journalist. The final act is a cluster of intimate moments that will leave you aghast.
Part of what makes this production, of Ms. Kane's masterpiece, is the acting. Ian, our journalist, played by David Ferry emulates both the sadness and angry desire of a man trapped in a body and world he has no control over. His alienation has triggered a massive drinking problem and an obsessive, sometimes violent love affair with a younger woman. It is a physically demanding part, as well as a complicated and terrifying creation. And Mr. Ferry delivers with aplomb. The younger woman, Cate, is played by the fascinating, Michelle Monteith. Ms. Monteith seamlessly draws forth the many sides of the character, at times with almost manic force. But, behind it there is believability and confidence. She brings you to the brink and teeters. A compelling performance, in a stirringly written part. Dylan Smith, as the mysterious solider, also holds his own in this talented cast, although at times his accent makes him difficult to understand.
The set, designed by Julie Fox, is magnificent. The use of space is inventive and dislocating. In fact unlike other productions at Buddies the audience enters the theatre from the rear. Ms. Fox has utilized the depth by sectioning off part of the space. At first it seems as though it has simply been partitioned, but what is revealed is like the remnants of a catastrophic event. It begins with a swanky, sterile, hotel setting but becomes dark and derelict. The shift makes a profound impact . Furthermore, the sound. The effects used during the set change intervals can not be described as pleasant. In fact they are jarring and heighten the sense of time. A sort of sound torture. But it fits the mood, and adds to the impact of the show. It is well conceived and really nicely executed by Richard Feran.
Blasted is tense and captivating. Silent pauses grip scenes. Nothing is rushed and the outcome allows the spectator time to absorb what is being presented which is often harsh and thought provoking. In the dark, as scenes changed, you'd wish for it to be over, for the characters' pain to come to any kind of end. But during the scenes we were totally engrossed, fascinated by the downward spiral.
New Artistic Director of Buddies, and the director of Blasted, Brendan Healy, has chosen a highly complex and challenging second season opener, and we applaud him for it. The decision shows an academic awareness and passion for bringing intelligent, ground breaking, and fascinated works to Toronto's premiere queer theatre space. There have been comments about the show choice, and Buddies mandate as a queer theatre space. But certainly anything this brilliant and thought generating deserves the complement of being quite queer indeed.
Click the header for ticket information. Blasted runs until October 17th.
JH and LM
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