Review: B, Royal Court

Presented as part of the Genesis Foundation Project, B kicks off the Royal Court's international season.

In recent years Chile has faced a series of bomb attacks across the country. About 200 devices have been discovered, mostly detonating at night, but with no single group claiming responsibility.

Written by Chilean playwright Guillermo Calderón, this piece is an exploration of what political violence means to two different generations of activists.

Alejandra and Marcela are planting bombs at 3am. They don't want to harm anyone; their actions are about making noise. This contradicts with bomb-maker José Miguel's ideology; he is committed to effecting change by any means possible.

There is one thing the three can agree on: they must never say the 'B' word. Ever. Say 'cow' or 'cheese', or variations like 'noise cheese' or 'nail cow', but never mention anything of a 'bomb', otherwise the police who are listening outside will storm in and throw them all in prison. But getting locked up may not be such a bad thing, if all of their friends are already inside for committing the same crime.

The trio are continuously interrupted by their nosy neighbour Carmen, who keeps popping in for a chat and a slice of birthday cake. Sarah Niles is effectively cheeky in the role, offering the only moments of humour in an otherwise bleak 80 minutes. Niles is also the only actor who really speaks with some awareness of stakes.

The rest of the cast seem unsure in their delivery, and it's an awkward atmosphere to have to sit through. On the whole, Sam Pritchard's direction struggles to draw out inspired performances.

A moment towards the end is incredibly off-putting; balloons pop, signifying an explosion, and faeces splatter around the room. It isn't off-putting because it's poo, but because it feels like a drastic enlivening of a sluggish play.

Constantly throughout you find yourself asking why. Why is the pace so slow? Why isn't the narrative moving forward? Why isn't there an underlying tension? Why?

The play would probably have more resonance in the playwright's native Chile than it does in Sloane Square.

Sadly, this production never really explodes.

B at the Royal Court until 21 October

Photo Credit: Helen Murray

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