“One can’t always remain a stranger”
Albert Camus may be better known as a philosopher and author than as a
playwright so it is a rare opportunity that presents itself to catch his play
Cross Purpose (Le Malentendu) in the Sunday/Monday slot at Islington’s King’s
Head Theatre pub. A mother and daughter eke out a joyless existence, running a glum
guesthouse somewhere in Central Europe and murdering their rich guests, but
when their next victim turns out to be a man with a connection to them both,
tragic consequences ensue.
Stuart Gilbert’s translation captures something of the philosophical weight of
Camus’ writing, his exploration of the way life is cruel to anyone no matter
how intrinsically good or evil they may be, but often does so in a rather
cumbersome manner. There’s an archness to the text which also possesses a vein
of mordant humour, both of which prove effective in summoning the strangeness
of this world. But the turn of phrase occasionally jars in its awkwardness and
not all the actors manage to surmount this challenge.
Jamie Birkett emerges the strongest as Martha, a haunted husk of a young woman
devoid of love or compassion. Even her long-cherished dream of moving to live
by the sea has a grimness in Birkett’s hands as the steely glint in her eye suggests
the glee anticipated in catering for Jan, their new guest, in their own
inimitable style. She connects well with Christina Thornton’s wearied Mother,
whose zeal for their way of life has long since died, and her delivery of a key
monologue confirms her status as an actress destined for great things.
David Lomax’s Jan takes a while to find his groove as Jan, the epitome of
kindness and compassion, but soon draws us into the depth of the dilemma that
emerges, and there’s fun work from Leonard Fenton as a near-wordless factotum.
Melissanthi Mahut’s naturalistic delivery of Maria, Jan’s wife, strikes a duff
note though in Stephen Witson’s production, her emotion not sufficiently raw to
pierce the soul or mannered enough to fit with the rest of the performances.
In the limited space of the Kings Head, Jenny Gamble’s simple design allows
Phil Hunter to play with light and sound in the most evocative of ways to
really amplify the horror story ambience, which really lifts the overall effect
of this intriguing curiosity.
Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes (with interval)
Booking until 11th November
Labels: Camus, Christina Thornton, David Lomax, Jamie Birkett, King's Head