The Poltergeist is set in a world unaffected by the now ever-present imposition of social distancing and masks. Originally intended for live performance after the first lockdown, playwright Philip Ridley’s newest one-man play has instead been filmed and streamed online. The play was directed by Wiebke Green.
The story is told from the perspective of Sacha, an artist, deemed a prodigy in his childhood, but now living with his boyfriend and no longer following the trajectory predicted for him. We follow his journey to his niece’s – or as he calls her, ‘brats’ – birthday party. The dramatic monologue following Sacha’s bitter inner monologue is contrasted with his thinly veiled ‘polite’ outer voice. The writing was relentless and did not for a single moment step down its intensity; this was supported by the non-stop performance by actor Joseph Potter. The show was filled with dark themes – addiction, regret, mental illness – but the show still managed to find its lighter moments and comedy. I especially enjoyed the car journey as Sasha and his partner argue about Sasha’s prescribed drugs. Despite there being only one actor on a plain black stage, I could easily envision the two characters sitting in a car, the tension palpable.
Sasha’s partner is Chet, the ideal, polite conversationalist, and they are constantly concerned about Sasha. Their dynamic adds a tenderness and lightness to the whole show. We also hear from characters sush as Sasha’s slightly grating in-laws and party guest Dougie, and Sacha’s nieces. Potter’s acting was phenomenal. The multi-person dialogue was mostly easy to follow and the rapid switching between mannerism and accent for each character is a testament to the skill of this actor. The various characters also added the comedy needed to keep the show from getting too dark, and allowed the main character to have some intimate and funny fourth wall breaks, looking straight into the camera.
The show had a good pace overall and the writing was littered with intricate character details and full of heart. The end came up quickly, and occasionally I couldn’t keep up with the speed of the switching between characters. However, I found the monologue format was engaging for the whole one hour and thirty minutes of the show and the filming didn’t really diminish from the energy of the show for me. I would highly recommend this show if you’re missing the theatre or have a case of the Lockdown Blues – it definitely transported me away from reality!
The Poltergeist is streaming from the 25th of January to the 28th of February. You can find more information here.
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