Review: Meat

At long last… It’s here. It’s intelligent, it’s well performed, and, shockingly for a St Andrews university theatre production, this was certainly not on your high-school reading syllabus. To what […]


At long last… It’s here. It’s intelligent, it’s well performed, and, shockingly for a St Andrews university theatre production, this was certainly not on your high-school reading syllabus. To what do I refer? To Tim Foley’s latest creation of course, the eagerly anticipated Meat.

Publicised as “a dark comedy with bite,” this disturbing piece certainly held its audience in an apprehensive quiet, their silence broken only by the play’s black (but necessary) humour. The plot navigates the meeting and meal of The Catherine’s Club, an elitist university-based men’s club, not altogether dissimilar to those of St Andrews. Within minutes of commencement it becomes clear that there is growing discontent within the club’s ranks. President Charles Moon (Jasper Lauderdale) dominates the action, as he defends his moral standing and position of leadership from his subjects. As accusations fly back and forth over the table between Moon and his Vice president, Callum King (Will Moore), the club’s constitution and the motives of each character begin to concern the audience – almost as much as the contents of the meal itself. As King attempts to draw upon the support of Admissions and Archives Officer, Stanley Higley (Jon Greenaway), tension builds and it becomes clear that not all members of the committee will survive the meal without resignation from the club. Add to this the tentative bejant, Alex Newman’s (Brendan Macdonald), homoeroticism, and the President’s mentally deranged cousin, Declan Kelly (Sebastian Carrington-Howell), and you have all the ingredients for a cunningly awful, yet amusing social encounter of the strangest kind. The plot is interesting, the characters largely believable and the dialogue gripping.

Perhaps the most commendable aspect of this work was its presentation. From the ostentatious wax-sealed invitations to the secret venue (complete with promenade movement around a perfect location), the attentions paid to detail cannot go uncredited. These efforts were not only helpful in allowing the audience to fall into the world of the script, but were also daring. The website was a nice addition and generated excitement prior to the show, this buzz evidenced by Meat’s sell-out status before posters had even been put up.

Certain performances are also noteworthy. Undoubtedly, it was the President, Charles Moon, who dominated the play, and Lauderdale brought a wonderfully wicked intensity to the character that carried the pace brilliantly. His slow Kentucky drawl also leant itself very well to the chilling prologue and epilogue, only risking self-indulgence on occasion. That said, it would have been nice to see him enjoy the effects of his malevolence in those around him more, perhaps by paying greater attention to the actions he was playing upon the others rather than the state of evil he himself was occupying.

Macdonald, whilst doing as much re-acting as acting, portrayed the tangible innocence of the club’s bejant flawlessly, creating one of the few characters that was truly likeable, and for whom the audience panicked in his final moments onstage. Moore brought his usual integrity to another well-executed performance, and the fresh talent of Jon Greenaway ensured a fantastic performance of great clarity.

The only character I struggled with was that played by Carrington-Howell, and not because of any inadequacy on his part but simply due to the artistic decisions made. The character of Declan, particularly in his entrance and exit, seemed to parody what it meant to be mentally disabled at times for the sake of humour. Whilst I was onboard with the black comedy surrounding this scenario, for me, this character was too tasteless at times. This might have been solved by a clear decision as to whether Declan was a tasteless parody or a genuine portrayal – either one being potentially witty in the context of this particular play, but uncomfortable when oscillating between the two. That said, the physical transformation that Carrington-Howell achieved was remarkable, and when on the outskirts of the action his Declan was very believable and well observed. All in all, a startlingly strong cast.

The greatest credit must of course go to the mind that engineered this artistic feat. Foley has been well-congratulated for his prior creative endeavor (Titans was it?) but in my eyes, the professionalism of this piece overtakes it considerably. Whilst the concept of the play isn’t entirely original (see recent Fringe plays Dinner or Pork, of related content) Foley’s marriage of ideas, including his apparent foresight of the recent Kate Kennedy debacle, is fiercely intelligent. Besides this, his writing is fearless, yet far from reckless. The content is undeniably disturbing, and while the dialogue wasn’t always flawless, the play is hugely affecting – something truly impressive in student theatre. His treatment of sexuality also provoked varied reactions from the, at times, appalled audience, adding provocative layers of self-identification along with the usual character analysis. How this will run in the Fringe is an exciting consideration.

Upon leaving Meat, I turned to those I attended with and asked some all-important questions. Did you like it? …No. Was it “enjoyable”? ……No. Would you ever want to watch it again? No. But was it good?? It was undeniably brilliant. So please St Andrews, take a leaf out of Foley’s book. Push some boundaries, make bold decisions for definite reasons, and, as he has done with this production of Meat, make theatre. This dining experience has the potential to be both entertaining and educational for all.