Old Red Lion Theatre
5 Stars
The latest offering from the Old Red Lion, a venue that punches well above its weight, is an outstanding revival of one of Philip Ridley’s earliest works, The Fastest Clock in the Universe.
Ridley’s play focuses on Cougar Glass, a self-obsessed and scarily unstable Adonis who does everything he can to stay looking young. Joshua Blake is outstanding in the role; growling like a panther, lounging in his briefs and flexing his muscles, threatening to erupt at any moment.
Living in the small flat with Cougar is Captain Tock, played ably by Ian Houghton. Their relationship is painstakingly drawn; who is really relying on whom? Houghton and Blake play with the power struggle like a game of tennis; the energy is electric and the audience cannot take their eyes off – any second the tension might violently snap.
Captain is preparing for another of Cougar’s nineteenth birthday parties, a farce that is carefully planned and executed by them both. As usual only one guest to be invited, a young boy called Foxtrot Darling. Cougar takes an aggressively sexual pleasure in the telling of how he ensnared Foxtrot. There is danger in the air.
The first act is slightly overworked; it escalates to a high level of tension too quickly, not allowing room for a slow burn, a gradually growing discomfort shared between audience members. That said, this will surely ease as the run progresses.
At the climax of act one, Foxtrot himself enters, played impressively by Dylan Llewellyn. Llewellyn is immediately endearing; youthful, unblemished and attractive, you fall for him almost as quickly as Cougar did.
At the entrance of Foxtrot’s uninvited fiancée Sherbet Gravel (Nancy Sullivan) the rug is wholly pulled from beneath the audience’s feet. It is expertly executed. The play becomes a power struggle between the now silent Cougar and the inanely chattering Sherbet, as they each try to get their way. Sullivan is simply stunning as Sherbet, who would feel right at home with the cast of TOWIE, finishing every sentence with a grating ‘babe’. Her performance is a hilarious tour de force, and she matches Blake’s power and intensity well.
Completing the ensemble is Ania Marson as aged neighbour Cheetah Bee. Marson is like a fallen Disney villain, hobbling around the stage wrapped in fur with an unmatched authority and an East London drawl that makes even the most conversational language sound like a mystical incantation.
Director Tom O’Brien’s production is disturbingly, inescapably sexy. The darkly poetic language of Ridley’s script, woven with humour and lust, is mastered by O’Brien’s superb cast of five. Derek Anderson’s lighting and Alexandra Faye Braithwaite’s sound design complete the frenetic, electric atmosphere and Emily Harwood’s set, suggestive of gathering storm clouds, is perfect for the intimate production.
While Ridley may have gotten more honed in his technique in the years since this play premiered, it is in his early work that you can see the raw courage and boldness of vision that have made Ridley a playwright to be reckoned with. O’Brien’s greatest success is in preserving the vitality and the relevance of Ridley’s play; it is as painful and shocking as ever.
Tom O’Brien’s production is a rare opportunity to see one of Ridley’s greatest works performed to such a high standard. Not for the faint of heart, and not to be missed.
Runs until 30th November 2013
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