(Reviewed at Brighton Fringe 2007)

The production is drama about two brothers and an overbearing father. There is a cast of two (2M), one act, duration 60 minutes.

For ten years, Henry Hall (Darren East, the taller actor) has toiled in the service of his father Mr Hall, of Hall & Sons Funeral Directors. Out of the blue, his brother Keith Hall (Gilbert Taylor, the shorter actor) arrives - having run away from home as a child to escape his father's dominance. Henry decides to kill off his father (who is always offstage) - via a fake funeral - to get rid of his brother. But Keith wants to stay - and father isn't dead.

The production starts off looking and feeling as if it could be a long and testing night, heavy on meaningful gestures, mime, and significant glances. Fortunately, it shifts gear and reveals an interesting storyline. It's told by speech, movement, music & soundtrack, dripping water, and two filing cabinets. The cabinets serve as coffins, hearse, bunk beds, a tv set, and 4-drawer Pandora's boxes of props.

The production's style - and it has a strong, consistent style - is particularly effective at evoking trauma. Conflict between the two men as children, fears of the smaller boy of the night, the dark, and his father, come brightly to life. The story nods briefly to the biblical prodigal son, with the dissolute son returning, to the dismay of a brother who has worked diligently at his father's tasks. But it avoids too much allegory. Although the conflicts the brothers experience are familiar, even stereotypical, the production feels fresh.

Darren East gives Henry a vulnerable undertone. His Henry has a soulful face, with flashes of guile. Henry releases his soul by singing quietly (and fortunately, though the actor has a fine voice, for not too long), accompanying himself on a ukulele - until shut up by his domineering dad. It's poignant, and Darren East suggests the character's nuances with subtlety. Gilbert Taylor projects a powerful sense of a menace which, his performance elegantly suggests, the character doesn't have full confidence in. There's a shaft of insecurity running through the bullying swagger, which brings a credibility and roundness to the part, and a vulnerability.

The production has carefully-considered lighting, designed drips of water, and two versatile filing-cabinets. Director Clare Dunn brings these devices - with a provoking selection of sound-effects and music - to the action with an intense creativity. 'Intense' may be the best single-word summary of the piece. Clare Dunn combines the actors in a series of encounters that throb, and sometimes sparkle, with emotional intensity.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Darren East - Henry Hall. Gilbert Taylor - Keith Hall.

Company Credits: Writers - Unpacked. Director - Clare Dunn. Light & Sound Designer - Unpacked. Technical Operator - Clare Dunn. Company - Unpacked. Website - www.unpacked.org. Producer - Linda Lewis Productions.

END

John Park

reviewed Thursday 10 May 07 / Nightingale / The title of Funeral Games at Brighton Fringe 2007 was Idyll - A Comic Lament.

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