Review: VICTORY CONDITION, Royal Court

A man and a woman enter, having just returned from a holiday in Greece. They unpack, order a takeaway, wash clothes, drink wine, play video games and go to bed. Chris Thorpe returns to the Royal Court with his new play Victory Condition, a complicated exploration of society's complacency.

The setting is a modern, newly built flat, open to the audience. Chloe Lamford's design effectively communicates the mundanity of the couple's everyday lives.

The text's format is two long monologues, followed by a dialogue between the two characters. Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone directs Sharon Duncan-Brewster and Jonjo O'Neill. Both actors have a solid grasp of the text, directly addressing their speech to the audience.

O'Neill's speech is fuelled by violence; he is a military man deciding whether or not to fire a bullet. Duncan-Brewster, on the other hand, is much softer in her approach, taking regular pauses to contemplate her thoughts. Featherstone includes moments of subtle interaction, which could go unnoticed, but when you spot them, they're delightful.

However, no matter how much the performers attempt to bring the piece to life, it feels more like an academic essay rather than a play, and its lack of progression makes for a lukewarm viewing experience. It's fascinating what Thorpe is attempting to do, but it's too confusing to have to sit through.

I appreciate his thinking - a victory condition is a series of actions (usually found in computer games), which you undertake in a path to either win or lose. His argument is that we all have this desire to win, or an urge to find an ending. But, as the text suggests, the ending isn't always the bang we might expect.

Unfortunately, Thorpe's experiment alienates rather than intrigues - it might be better placed in a university seminar than offered as a night at the theatre.

Victory Condition at the Royal Court until 21 October

Photo Credit: Helen Murray

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