Review: CONTRACTIONS, Crucible Studio, Sheffield, 5 July 2016

Mike Bartlett's Contractions, currently playing at the Crucible Studio in Sheffield, is a tightly wound and tense battle of wills between sales employee Emma (Rose Leslie) and her manager (Sara Stewart) that will strike a chord with anyone who's had a certain kind of boss. Indeed, as we left the theatre after the one-act play, the main topic of conversation among Audience members were the terrible managers people had encountered.

The play has a very straightforward premise: how to negotiate personal relationships that might develop in the workplace within the strictures of a contract that forbids them. However, as Emma tries to operate within these boundaries to the best of her ability and her manager keeps turning the screws, the stakes for Emma get ever larger.

The two-hander is a battle of wills, as we wonder what will crack first: the manager's stony-faced adherence to rules, or Emma's determined, spirited approach. It would be giving away too many spoilers to say what happens, but Emma's loyalty to the company is repeatedly tested through increasingly devastating and absurd circumstances that are simultaneously tragic and funny.

Blending horrible aspects of life with sharp, darkly satirical humour is characteristic of Mike Bartlett's work. It will no doubt be divisive for some in the audience, who may think he has stretched some of the plot twists too far into crassness, but I felt he just about gets away with it because of the astute points he's making about our relationship to work. I also found one particular development very reminiscent of Sarah Kane's Blasted, which played in this same venue just over a year ago, although I'm not clear whether or not this was a deliberate nod.

Stewart and Leslie give confident and assured performances that draw the audience into the claustrophobic nature of the situation - helped by a small set with a huge office desk separating the two and stark white lighting against a black background. The set slowly rotates throughout the play so the audience can see the scene from different angles. I was a little nervous about this, as rotating sets often make me feel queasy, but this turns so slowly that that wasn't a problem. Indeed, the work very much suits the in-the-round staging, as the audience are sometimes closer in perspective to the manager and at other times to Emma, which adds to the intensity of the situation.

Director Lisa Blair makes her professional debut here and she has deliberately kept the play taut and confined, with controlled performances from both leads. It could have been tempting for a first-time director to do something more showy or experimental, but the tightness of the performances and staging demonstrate a real confidence at work, which bodes well for her future endeavours.

Contractions is a short, sharp shock of a play - and a great opportunity to see two in-demand actors up close and witness the start of what will hopefully be a successful directing career for Blair. With Bartlett recently receiving much praise for the TV series Doctor Foster, it might also attract an audience curious to see his stage work. As in much of his writing, this play demonstrates some of the darker side of human nature, whilst also revelling in our ability to be strong-willed and fight even when the odds are stacked against us.

Contractions is at the Crucible Studio Theatre until 16 July

Picture credit: Marc Brenner

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