Review: RADIANT VERMIN, Tron Theatre

First staged in 2015, Radiant Vermin is a play by Philip Ridley. This production is directed by Johnny McKnight and stars Dani Heron as Jill, Martin Quinn as Ollie and Julie Wilson Nimmo as Miss Dee.

Jill and Ollie are a young married couple who are expecting their first child. They've not had an easy time of it, both caring for ill parents and now living on an estate that is rife with drug use and gang culture. They receive a letter from the mysterious Miss Dee, offering them their dream home- for free. It all seems a little too good to be true.

Miss Dee's proposal actually makes sense. The area their new home is in is run down, the little row of houses essentially abandoned. Jill and Ollie are offered the middle house which is shabby but structurally sound and told that the "catch" is simply that if they do the house up, it will make the neighbourhood more appealing. Property value will go up and the area will be regenerated. Easy, right? Ollie is handy and Jill has an eye for design (and expensive taste) and the pair are confident that they can renovate the home by themselves. Kenny Miller's set design is gorgeous, the outline of a house that glows and changes colour as events unfold and take a darker turn.

The clue is in the show blurb- "getting a foot on the property ladder is murder". Jill and Ollie have to do unspeakable things in order to get their dream home looking the way they want it. Heron is perfect as the sweet and principled Jill who throws her beliefs out of the window when it comes to getting a Moroccan garden. Quinn as Ollie has his doubts about their unusual methods of home renovations and perfectly balances the comedic moments with a man who is mentally unravelling. The duo work so well together, particularly as they take on the personalities of their new neighbours at a garden party. The mix of accents, mannerisms and posture switched up in quick succession is truly impressive. 

Julie Wilson Nimmo is the suspiciously cheery Miss Dee. A woman who you can't contact but she seems to know exactly when you need her. She's overly familiar with Jill and Ollie and despite her upbeat demeanor, you get a strong sense that there's something more sinister going on here. She also takes a turn as a local vagrant which gives us one of the most unsettling moments in this play. 

Radiant Vermin is a thrilling and chilling play that looks at the desperation of young people to get on the property ladder. The script is brilliantly witty and completely shocking. The cast are wonderful and the personalities of Jill and Ollie will challenge the audience as they aren't quite sure whether they approve of their actions...

Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic

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