Review: Cross Purpose at the King's Head Theatre

Cross Purpose
King's Head Theatre
Reviewed on Thursday 10th January 2013 (Press Night)

"A man returns home to bring good fortune to his mother and sister, deciding to remain anonymous, a decision that ultimately proves fatal. He finds them running a guesthouse, murdering their wealthy guests and dumping them in a nearby river. Darkly absurd and tragic consequences ensue in this play by Nobel Laureate Albert Camus."

This is the first major revival of Albert Camus' darkly absurd and tragic play, Cross Purpose. The play unravels the dark and tragic hilarity of deadly suburban monotony. The highly emotive and ever-thickening plot kept the audience perfectly balanced between laughter and surprise!

The production has returned to the King's Head Theatre for a four week season after a hugely successful short autumn run that saw Jamie Birkett nominated Best Actress in the Off West End Awards. Jamie Birkett's powerful portrayal of Martha consistently left the audience in a state of bewildered awe; her resistance to human closeness, devotion to her dreams and her breathtaking realisation of emptiness pulled on many heart strings.

The King's Head theatre is simply stunning. The close proximity of the characters to the audience, amid the small and carefully designed set, created a sense of involvement in this intensely dramatic production. The witty irony of Martha's stone-clad outer shell versus her vulnerable, curious naivety left the audience on tenterhooks throughout this entirely surreal production, until the astonishing and unpredictable close.

The magic of Cross Purpose is that it appeals to people of all ages. It is without a shadow of a doubt a five star production, perfect for lovers of period dramas with a twist...

Cross Purpose runs at the King’s Head Theatre until Saturday 2nd February 2013. Tickets are priced between  £10.00 and £25.00. 

Please visit www.kingsheadtheatre.com for more information and to book tickets.

Roxanne Osborne
contact@westendframe.com

Photo Credit: Chris Gardner

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