The main problem with reviewing plays is that you cannot escape during the interval, as you are duty bound to stay for the whole thing.

And I would have paid a king's ransom to have escaped from The Caucasian Chalk Circle at the Orange Tree Theatre.

For a professional production, the whole thing looked like a bad amateur drama workshop. The first 15 minutes was taken up with a new prologue based around the disused swimming pool site in Twickenham. If I wanted to hear a debate on the issue, I would go to a council meeting. There is plenty of subtext within the play already without adding to it and if James Saunders (prologues author) feels he has something to say then let him write a play rather than hide behind Mother Courage's apron.

Then the play proper started and from the outset it lacked cohesion. Everyone seemed to be acting in isolation rather than working as a company, reducing the piece to a series of monologues.

I felt sorry for the actors who kept changing roles, which prevented them from getting under the skin of any of the characters and give credible performances.

The portrayals of Grusha ranged from shallow to mediocre at best, and the same went for the depiction's of the other main character, Asdak.

The only time the play came to life was the scene where the corporal has to cross examine Grusha. Stuart Fox and Eric MacLennan as the soldiers were the high points, but one scene from a production which lasted two and a half hours was certainly not enough to redeem it.

During the first half a hangman's noose was brought on to the stage and I wondered who would benefit from it most the cast or the audience.

December 3, 2001 14:00