REVIEW: Abigail, The Bunker Theatre ✭✭✭

Tia Bannon and Mark Rose in Abigail Abigail

The Bunker Theatre

12 January 2017

Three stars

BOOK TICKETS

A Man and a Woman, we never learn their names, meet on a flight to Berlin. He’s an experienced traveller, with a wish list of global must-sees. She’s less so, with a dark sense of humour and a penchant for yoga. Over the next year they embark on a relationship that turns very destructive.

Tia Bannon and Mark Rose in Abigail

The 60 minutes running time certainly packs a punch in this whistle-stop tour of a love affair gone sour, but arguably, this may also be a flaw. A short performance is often a benefit, particularly for an audience relying on public transport and especially, as on this night in particular, when London is plagued by adverse weather. However, I rarely say this about plays, which so often suffer from the opposite problem; Abigail could strongly benefit from being a lot longer.

Writer Fiona Doyle sets up a wonderful, multi-layered narrative, with so many hints and suggestions of secrets, and the pasts of these characters - both of which are excellently written. The two have moments of sheer loveliness as a couple, but equally they can be absolutely foul to each other, with shockingly dark consequences. Doyle certainly knows how to structure a play too. The fractured timeline, which zips back and forth between vital points in the characters relationship feeds the audience clues, giving the final scene (where the couple first meet) a particularly revelatory feel. The short length of the scenes also keeps the audience's attention from wandering. But these secrets, especially from the young woman who is certainly hiding something about her relationship with family, never come to fruition. There’s an awful lot of ideas packed into this hour and you have to wonder if there’s simply a few too many.

Tia Bannon and Mark Rose in Abigail

Two-handers ensure that there is nowhere for a performer to hide, and Mark Rose takes on this challenge with aplomb. Despite the small space he seems completely at ease, his performance natural and believable. He is well matched by Tia Bannon as the unpredictable, control freak of a woman.

Max Dorey’s design is hugely successful in its simplicity. The set is constructed out of dozens of boxes, all stacked together. This sense of the temporary, an existence in flux, suits the nomadic nature of the two travellers, who both seem deeply reluctant to go home. Some of the boxes contain props which allows them to be accessed quickly and easily without delaying the action. It's also solid enough to climb, serving as a mountain for a hike the characters take. Christopher Nairne’s lighting shows clear, unmistakable transitions between scenes and time skips. Credit must go to director (and artistic director of The Bunker) Joshua McTaggart who utilises the space excellently.

Tia Bannon and Mark Rose in Abigail

Ultimately, Abigail comes across as a confused thing, hindered by just too many good ideas in too short a time. Good production helps redeem the play to a degree, but all in all the result is disappointingly vague and dissatisfying.

Until 4 February 2017

Photos: Anton Belmonte for 176 Flamingo Lane.

BOOK TICKETS TO ABIGAIL AT THE BUNKER THEATRE