Review: The Night Alive at the Donmar Warehouse

The Night Alive

Donmar Warehouse
Reviewed on Thursday 20th June 2013

Following a recent run of Conor McPherson’s contemporary classic, The Weir, The Donmar Warehouse is currently hosting the world premiere of McPherson’s new play, The Night Alive. The Irish playwright has also directed the production which features a rock solid cast who are hard to fault. I love the bluntness of McPherson’s writing which is both funny and gruesomely intense in places.

At first I was unsure where the plot was going. To begin with The Night Alive is very easygoing and packed with Irish humour, which I loved. The entire play is set in Tommy's messy rented room which is part of his uncle Maurice’s house. He seems a fairly laid back character who snacks on dog biscuits (yes, you read that correctly). However, when Aimee comes flying into Tommy's life with plenty of her own problems, the play becomes a little complicated. 

The Night Alive goes from extreme to extreme. Nothing quite prepared me for the gruesome turn of events which caused quite a squeamish response from the audience, many of whom resorted to covering their eyes and ears. The scenes of violence are choreographed perfectly and are almost too realistic.

Ciaran Hinds gives an outstanding performance as Tommy. There is more to the character than first meets the eye and Ciaran adapts to the play's dramatic mood change brilliantly (as do the entire cast). Caoilfhionn Dunne gives an intriguing performance as Aimee who at first seems like an innocent victim before the play delves into her dodgy past. 

My favourite character in the piece has to be Maurice (Tommy's uncle), played superbly by Jim Norton. The character provides some much needed light relief during heavier sections of the play.

The Night Alive is a strange show. I don't like its conclusion as I feel too many questions are left unanswered. However, this production is well acted and directed while the design is simple yet effective. If you are looking for a powerful, gritty evening at the theatre then go and see The Night Alive at the Donmar Warehouse.

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

andrew@westendframe.com

The Night Alive runs at the Donmar Warehouse until Saturday 27th July 2013.

Please visit www.donmarwarehouse.com for further information and tickets.

Photo Credit: Helen Warner

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