Impotent
Lion and Unicorn Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 8th January 2013 (First Night)
"Impotent is a pitch-black comedy drama set in the murky world of a Market Harborough Genito-Urinary Medicine Department. Five men at different stages of their life and different stages of treatment for impotence are seen individually undergoing treatment with Dr Zoë Lane, a woman who has to penetrate, interpret and reprogramme the misfiring, and frequently overwired brains of her patients. Her patients are a mixture of men for whom sex is any or all of a reward, a curse, a threat, a justification and punishment.
After their individual consultations, the five patients are all then brought together in a group meditation session, which aims to teach them to live in the moment and ignore the erection defeating voices in their head. But when one patient decides to vent the anger his impotence has bred in him, the group descends into anarchy. In this maelstrom, one of the patients remains resolute, while two come to view themselves in a better light and two are further away from a solution than ever before, as all the patients come to terms with lives that have been mainly exercises in searching for validation, reassurance, but most of all… a hard-on."
Impotent is a breath of fresh air. This brand new black comedy, written by Matt Reed, feels incredibly fresh and is hugely relevant but most importantly the show is funny... not just a little bit funny... extremely funny.
Helena Blackman shows what an outstanding, versatile actress she is as Dr Lane. During some scenes I do not know how Helena managed to keep a straight face. She has completely mastered her portrayal of Dr Lane and gives a strong performance. Don Cotter also gave a stand out performance as poor Keith. Don's delivery was spot on. Keith isn't the brightest of characters and I am sure I wasn't the only audience member who was left wanting to give Keith a big hug.
Impotent starts well. The five patients (each at different stages of treatment for impotence) enter one by one and sit facing away from the audience. I was really impressed by Hattie Clark's design. It was very simple yet the careful positioning of the mirrors on the back wall created some interesting images and kept the entire play visually interesting to watch.
During the first act each of the five men take turns to have their appointment with Dr Lane. This worked well at first. The first appointment scene with Keith was so well written and performed. However, as the first act went on the formula became predictable. I felt like I knew what was coming next which was a little disappointing. Although, despite being predictable the first half was still very funny and engaging.
The second act is set in a group meditation session, involving all 5 patients. After a while the scene started to drag and the pace slowed which I found disappointing because I enjoyed the first half so much. Eventually the characters leave until only Dr Lane and one of her patients, Saul (who is played by Nik Drake), are left alone on stage. Without giving away what happens, I suddenly became completely engrossed. I totally forgot I was in a theatre with other people as Nik Drake and Helena Blackman's acting soared to a whole new level. The scene was intense and beautifully written - at last the play was unpredictable, I did not have a clue how it was going to conclude.
Impotent really is a fantastic play with so much potential! I have given it four stars; however, with a few tweaks I would easily give it five. I wanted to see more of that intensity which I saw in the final scene throughout the entire play. Obviously it's a light hearted show but maybe more of a storyline could be introduced during the first act to make it less predictable.
I strongly recommend you wipe away those January blues and book tickets to see Impotent. Please remember the humour in this unmissable play is very adult so it's not for everyone. The Lion and Unicorn is a beautiful pub theatre so make sure you arrive early to enjoy a nice pre-show drink! Impotent only runs until Saturday 26th January but somehow I don't think this is the last we will see of it...
Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
andrew@westendframe.com
I just don't know if men with strong ego will love the idea of watching that movie. As for myself, I think I can watch that film.
ReplyDeleteAfter my husband and I watched this, he had his checkup a day after. To show him my support, I also consulted my ob gyn. That's when I found out I was four weeks pregnant - all thanks to this play!
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