This is a feat of performance endurance - virtually the entire text of the classic turn-of-the-century novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), delivered as a solo performance in storytelling mode with only the use of occasional props, over a period of five and a half hours.

The setting of Number 10 Ormond Quay, a lavishly restored Georgian house, enhances the classical atmosphere, as if Conrad himself was recounting his tale of the degenerate Belgian Congo to his friends on his return. Gavin Kostick performs the novel in an informal setting, with the audience seated around him on antique chairs and only candles for stage lights.

The extraordinary length of the performance is dealt with by frequent breaks. The show is divided into three main sections with two 20-minute intervals, during which the audience is served wine, cheese and tea in a nearby reception room. The three sections correspond to the three serialised parts of the original magazine publication of Heart of Darkness. Each of these sections is also punctuated by breaks of several minutes every half an hour or so.

Gavin Kostick's animated performance, particularly in the second and third sections, makes the jungles of the Congo sprout out of the centre of this Dublin drawing room. As well as going into character for the various exotic individuals in Conrad's story, his emotion and the sense of wonder never falter and he brings plenty physicality to his role, even standing on a table on occasion. Even with this scale of a project (over four and a half hours of solo performance, excluding the intervals and breaks), he only has occasional need to resort to a prompter. The standing ovation he receives at the end is fully deserved.

Cast Credits: Performer - Gavin Kostick.

Company Credits: Writer - Joseph Conrad (1857-1924). Live Music (during breaks) - Andrew Synnott. Consultant Director - Raymond Keane. Design Consultant - Sabine Dargent. Voice Coach - Cathal Quinn. Production Manager / Stage Manager - Margarita Corscadden. Assistant Stage Manager - Clare Howe. Photographer - Pat Redmond & Ros Kavanagh. Producer - Aoife White. Company - Lily Productions, in association with Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival and Irish Theatre Institute.

END

(c) Colman Higgins 2008

reviewed Thursday 2 October 08 / Number 10, Ormond Quay, Dublin

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com