Writer: Christopher Hampton
Director: Chelsea Walker
Vienna in 1934 was not a welcoming place for a Jewish writer such as Stefan, a central character in Christopher Hampton’s new play. He enjoys the fruits of his success, living the high life to the full and womanising to excess, but, just as he contemplates leaving the city, he meets a woman with a strange allure. She claims to know him well from the past and he has absolutely no idea who she is.
Hampton’s 70-minute drama, adapted from a short story by Stefan Zweig, is a mystery that develops into a tale of unrequited infatuation. The woman, who we later learn is named Marianne, is ushered in as if she is yet another of Stefan’s anonymous one-night stands, but she confesses to having loved him obsessively since childhood, while he has consistently ignored or forgotten her. In modern parlance, Marianne’s behaviour might be classed as that of a stalker, but she acts out of pure, untainted love, without any trace of malice.
James Corrigan plays Stefan with the nonchalant air of a serial seducer of women. Natalie Simpson is spellbinding as Marianne, a woman overwhelmed by her obsession, yet reconciled to repeated rejection. She bares her soul to Stefan, occupying a space in his smart bachelor pad that many other women have passed through, but only briefly. Stefan’s trusted aide, Johann (Nigel Hastings), stands by loyally.
The story is recounted rather than acted out and it falls to director Chelsea Walker to add a visual dimension to what, on paper, looks like a radio play. Dim lighting, designed by Bethany Gupwell, casts long shadows on designer Rosanna Vize’s boxed-in set, while Marianne’s younger self (Jessie Gattward) lurks around the peripheries. If the production is low on movement, it is high on atmosphere.
Brevity enriches the power of the drama. Hampton does not overplay political parallels, but, telling a story of misguided obsession being met by casual indifference, the play can be viewed as both a metaphor forthe time and place of its setting and a warning for the present. This is a dark and haunting romance.
Runs until 27 July 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Dark and Haunting
