The Executioner

A dramatic monologue can be a confronting and/or emotional experience for both the actor and the audience. The Executioner at the Bas3ment falls short on both counts. One of the first rules of theatre is to engage. This script is a 50 minute rant of random thoughts going through the character's head, and this reviewer was not engaged.

Written and directed by Simon Lancione, the Executioner sits alone pondering the work he does and why he does it, but the emotional journey and cathartic moments are jumbled in amongst the other random thoughts and are not evident enough. Lancione is trying to highlight that sometimes the randomness of our consciousness and the thoughts we have may seem absurd once they are vocalised.  Congratulations must go to Lancione for backing himself as a debut writer and only a second time director. It is clear to see his skills will develop in these areas as he continues.

Julian Jaensch, as the executioner, works hard on a bare stage with no props and just a solitary chair to work with. His performance is not enhanced by intermittently changing the positon of the stool in an attempt to add some interest. Because of the bareness of the set, and no props to work with, Jaensch needs to use more physicality and changes in voice tone to convey the conflict within.  Perhaps a combination of opening night nerves, a raw script and a relatively green director contributed and this may improve as the season progresses.

Maxine Grubel

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