Director Chris Jones takes on a daunting task with Crave. Sarah Kane’s penultimate play takes place in one act with characters neither explicitly connected nor distinct from each other. To those unfamiliar with Sarah Kane, her brief career and untimely suicide left behind some of the most controversial pieces of theatre of the time. Crave came as Kane’s first non-violent piece of theatre, written with little in the way of stage direction or setting; characters become as unspecific as possible, each with only a letter to denote them.
In the unlikely setting of St Hugh’s newly refurbished bar, low ceilings and dim lighting are enclosed by large pillars and small windows; the small table lamps dotted around the set creating a striking up-lighting effect on the actors’ faces, as jagged shadows exaggerate the sorrow on their faces. The intimacy of the space naturally draws the audience in, and eye contact afforded by the actors with the audience further removes any sense of the fourth wall. These characters are not explicitly connected and their strong use of the middle distance in speech retains the sense that, even when they talk to each other, they remain their own islands of sorrow.
There is sometimes an unfortunate lack of tightness in the script, particularly given that this play demands much well directed bouncing of words and phrases from one character to another. Such aspects of the play that require strong, well-rehearsed conviction, such as the compelling refrain, “Why?”, “What?”, “Why What?”, “What?”, sometimes lack potency. M’s (Olivia Madin) indignant character is well portrayed, however, throwing sardonic glances which belie her situation, exploding in the occasional fit of indignant rage; a welcome contrast to C’s (Rosie Wells) hand-wringing desolation.
Three Stars
Crave is on at St. Hugh’s College Bar, 5th Week, 7.30pm
