A botched suicide, a love triangle, a single room, a single day: the makings of a great play. Wikipedia tells me that The Deep Blue Sea was praised for its deeper and more complex view of life (citation needed) but it does seem, in comparison to the other Rattigan play that Oxford has seen this term (After the Dance) that there is less humour and less decadence. Instead, it is more of a “Vim under the sink, two bars on the fire” sort of scene, full of empty lives and 1950s drudge.
Hester, previously married to high-court judge William, is now in love with Freddie who drinks too much and used to be a pilot (cause and effect). Feeling rejected by Freddie, she tries to kill herself and fails. On stage there is a gas fire, a sofa, a drinks cabinet – nothing too lavish, because this play is about the script and it is about the characters written into the script. When Freddie, played by Alex Stutt, strides on stage much about his character is clear. He is energetic, his body movements and facial features are slightly exaggerated and he fits the role of an enthusiastic RAF pilot very well. This is matched by the way he speaks – quickly and with a buzz of boyishness. He is meant to have been drinking throughout the play so that, in the middle, his confrontation with Hester is fierce and full of emotion; quite rightly, I think, he plays down the drunken aspect to focus on this emotion, so there is no slurred speech or staggering around the stage and, as a result, there is less opportunity for bad acting.
Sophie Ablett as Hester is quieter in comparison. But I cannot quite work out her character. At the beginning of the play she does not quite convince me that what is going on inside is the turmoil of a suicidal mind. She is devoted to Freddie but it is in her scenes with William (Jack Light) that she is more sincere. The interaction between Light and Ablett is great, it is natural and it is actually, despite the uncomfortable subject matter (her suicide attempt, her fragile state of mind), more comfortable. Light is quiet, calm, caring – his soft voice and excellent posture counteract Ablett’s skittishness and frailty very well.
So many plays rely on the characters getting drunk – probably to provide a change in tone and to alter the personalities of the characters. Actors deal with this in a variety of ways, from the sublime to the ridiculous. This lies somewhere in between. It is understated which, for a small BT audience, is a good thing. If Hester can squeeze out a little more emotion then this production is going to be excellent. A bit of spit, a bit of polish and the play will be what it needs to be: a reflection on love, on the way we express it and how we, all of us, need it.
FOUR STARS
