Review: Talk Radio

Clare Sheehan’s directorial debut is utterly captivating. She has created a series of rounded characters who co-exist and interact in a world which is so naturally inhabited and painstakingly created that it is hard to believe it exists only in The Barron Theatre as a set. Her cast has obviously been compassionately directed, and she brings out powerful and humorous elements alike in her actors as they perform a tight and hard-hitting show. They appear as a gelled and nurtured unit, coaxed into delivering raw performances which left the audience speechless.

The show boasts a consistently committed cast which delivers engaging performances throughout. Adelaide Waldrop, Alex Levine, Mimi von Shack and Kristofer Gravning juggle the voices of various callers in to the radio show, ranging from hysterical to stoned, with ease and professionalism from off-stage, handling all calls with such surety that the audience were not remotely unnerved by the unusual format of watching only a portion of the cast.

Playing the show’s executive producer, Dan, Anthony Simpson-Pike adds a lovely mobility to the piece, and his frequent failures to control himself provide a wonderful contrast with his employee, Barry (played by Lorenzo de Boni). Even when Simpson-Pike is most exasperated, he is unable to lose himself utterly, and this division is commented on by both characters. To embody this element gave him real truth on stage, and gave his relationship as the suit behind the celebrity depth.

Brendan Macdonald as Kent is hilarious. His physicality is transforming and beautifully sustained. He gently treads the line between amusing the audience and clowning, but does so with such intelligence and dexterity that his wonderful characterization never enters the realm of the absurd. His exit is deeply unsettling, and his impact on those around him justified by his own urgency and intensity.

Emily Bell, as Linda, arrives with an instant character; and her interactions with de Boni are all clearly informed by past experience, and motivated by her conflicting feelings. Her interaction with him as a caller is beautifully handled, with real fragility, and contained tenderly so as not to become sentimental. Her monologue was utterly convincing, and her frustration with her situation painfully genuine. Her sparkles of cheeky wit were also a highlight.

Jasper Lauderdale oozes character as sound engineer, Stu, as he devours noodles and twiddles a mixing desk, but his true moment is his monologue. His sensitivity as an actor is exposed, as he roots every action in motivations from within the script, and succeeds in pulling every available emotion and justification from it. His masterful ability to tell stories presents the audience with a beautifully painted backdrop against which to watch the interactions which unfold before them. He is entertaining, undoubtedly, but his greater triumph is his creation of a character who can withstand the presence of de Boni’s Barry. Lauderdale is quietly present in such a way as to offer full credibility to their relationship, and his devastatingly passive participation in the climactic moments is heart-wrenching.

Lorenzo de Boni is a true and rare talent. His commitment is astonishing. He submerges himself utterly, and the character he brings himself to is entirely real. His arrogance and refusal to answer any question with reference to personal experience work in tandem to make his emotional arc chilling, and the final state he reaches almost unbearable. He gives such focus to his performance that he commands the stage; but is generous to his cast, and never upstages, allowing his relationships to be genuine. His final monologue must be witnessed to be believed; the desperation is haunting, and his resignation to his role as the voice on the line poignant.

A privilege to watch, Talk Radio reminds us of the talent which surrounds us. It was so exciting to see such a riveting performance by students, for students. The technical side was handled with utter professionalism, and the show is a testament to what Mermaids can achieve when working hard together.