Nobody's Home cleverly sets the story of Odysseus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysseus) returning home into a modern day psychological situation. The devised play is an original work by the cast showing great imagination and movement skills to tell a story of separation, loss, madness and love.

Penny (Dorie Kinnear) and Grant (Will Pinchin) are a happy couple. They have moved into a new house and are full of love for each other. But after Grant returns home from his duties in the war, he more and more retreats into a world of video games. Penny does her best to try and win him back and get through to his mind. But separating real from unreal becomes increasingly hard for him, until a dangerous dance brings them to the brink of life and death. Starting balanced and light, the play turns into darker realms whilst brimming with comical ideas.

The stage is set with a big bathtub. Two pairs of feet stick out and giggles are heard. 'I love you' the two characters say to each other, 'Let's stay like this forever.' Of course, this doesn't happen. The tub, representing the bathroom, is the place to which Grant retreats to play his video games. Penny repeatedly confronts him to repair the water supply. He never manages to: the minute he wants to start, his reality changes into scenes from the past or imaginative encounters with creatures and other people. Penny's distress about this leads to high tension between the two. Both viewpoints are so clearly written that it is difficult not to emphasise with each of them.

Nobody's Home is full of magical and fun images. The video-games-zombie choreography is very funny, as are the things the psychoanalyist does to Grant to make him well. Almost on the verge of slipping into the absurd, the actors never fail to get back to the truth of the situation faced by the characters.

Ailin Conant directs with tempo, quick changes and feeling. The legend of Odysseus is cunningly interwoven, connecting key images - although it is not necessary to know Odysseus's story to enjoy fully this modern adaptation. The play evokes the psychological aspects of the story, and creates horror without having to show it.

Dorie Kinnear's ability to emerge as different characters from the bathtub is breathtaking - what will come next? Her switches from loving sensitive wife Penny to mad doctor to Zombie are very clearly constructed, and give the impression of having many more actors than two. Will Pinchin shows a high sensibility for Grant. He fascinates with his changing states, and surprises continually. Both actors are energetic and generous in their play with each other. Towards the end, they could give themselves more time for those situations where their characters are not in one of Grant's dreams - to provide a greater contrast with the other scenes. They seem to create vast spaces around each other, which makes the stage seemingly much bigger than it is. The ending leaves a lasting image, touching and deep.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Dorie Kinnear - Penny. Will Pinchin - Grant.

Company Credits: Writer/Deviser - (the cast). Director - Ailin Conant. Composer - Otto Muller. Lighting Designer - uncredited. Sound Designer - uncredited. Technical Operator - uncredited. Producer - uncredited. Company - Grafted Cede Theatre. Company - Theatre Temoin.

END

(c) Fleur Poad 2010

reviewed Sunday 16 May 2010 / Upstairs At The Three And Ten, Brighton, UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2010

www.fringereport.com