Two men sit at opposite ends of a row of metal folding chairs: Boyd (Tom Cobley)—working class, dressed in jeans, reading a local newspaper and Ryan (Chris Westgate)— a public school man in jacket and tie reading a book. They’re in a waiting room, a holding area. BANG! “Drives you round the bloody bend, doesn’t it. Round the bloody bend….The bloody door, always bloody banging…” complains Boyd. The door is almost a character, its punctuating slam and precisely worded reaction integral to the rhythm of the play, the men’s steadfast refusal to rectify the situation (and close the damn thing) symbolic of the issue at hand. BANG!
Boyd and Ryan snipe at each other raising issues from politics to God, first evenly, then angrily. By piecing together dialogue (clues), we discover they’re soldiers of the same special unit of the British army recently stationed in Afghanistan—Ryan the officer in charge, Boyd one of his men. BANG! There was—an incident. Ryan is up on charges, Boyd is present to testify. BANG!
At first cocky, Ryan becomes anxious. In an effort to prepare for questioning, he suggests role-play with the helpful Boyd acting as prosecutor, then, predictably, balks at the questions. BANG! (Getting the idea? The audience jumps every time). They switch and switch again in unexpected reversals as the true history of the event and their own roles in it are revealed. Psychologically incisive dialogue paves the way for credible, seismic emotional shifts. You won’t see the resolution coming.
Tony Earnshaw has written a tight, effective, hard hitting play with deft character definition and extremely strong momentum.
Tom Cobley (Boyd) so artfully controls the stripping of his character, we feel it wrench and grind at every turn. Nothing is exposed before the moment of Boyd’s realization. Cobley creates a whole person from physical attitude to lower class accent and has great skill with still, focused presence when required.
Chris Westgate (Ryan) doesn’t completely fill Ryan’s shoes until on the attack. It’s as if the actor is either unsure of his character’s thoughts early on or needs to warm up. Because we haven’t grown accustomed to his reality, excellently portrayed aggressive manipulation is somewhat diminished.
Director Anna Adams has a well-honed sense of pacing. She keeps her actors in check as cracks appear in their characters and combustion ensues. Movement is economical, leaving the pith of the play with its exposition.
Photos by Tony Earnshaw. From left, Tom Cobley, Chris Westgate
New Ways in association with Unfit Productions UK LTD presents
The Door by Tony Earnshaw
Directed by Anna Adams
WithTom Cobley and Chris Westgate
59E59 Theaters
59 East 59th Street
212-279-4200
Through December 11, 2011
