Hunters

But this already tense relationship is thrown into doubt when Markus supsects that very, very possibly Billy has been fucking Markus’ wife, Eleanor (Ashleigh Coleman).  Markus grills apparently sweet and naïve PA Emilia (Emma Drysdale), but she claims to know nothing…  When take-no-prisoners Eleanor arrives on stage, reveal follows reveal and that triumphant acceptance speech gets a reprise.

In the program note, the producer says Hunters is ‘”Succession” by way of David Mamet.’  It’s true that here we have clever plot twists, a cast of scheming, unlikeable characters, some much smarter than others, who want power for power’s sake, and we have aggressive, expletive laden dialogue that seeks to dominate and destroy any opponent.  But the production struggles under some unfortunate decisions that are disconcerting and obscure the qualities of the text. 

Mounting a semi-naturalistic play with four characters on The Butterfly Club stage is a constraint, but even so the small space could be better used than it is.  Probably of lesser important importance and due to budget constraints, the wardrobe choices here are just wrong.  These people are well-paid highflyers, but Markus’ suit doesn’t fit, and nor does Billy’s - and Billy’s patent leather shoes seem naff.  Eleanor’s split to the waist, ‘look at my legs’ wrap dress seems quite inappropriate given her character and what ensues... 

More worrying, however, is the acting style, which involves a lot of one note over-emphasis and shouting, and nose-to-nose confrontations.  This is, after all, The (very intimate) Butterfly Club: tiny stage and audience close enough to touch the players.  It’s difficult to understand how director Justin Anderson could not have been aware of such things and asked for more light and shade from his cast and achieved more subtlety in his mis en scene. 

So, it’s difficult to gauge the success of Katherine Chloe Atkins’ text for Hunters on this showing since we must look and listen through things that get in the way. My sense of it is that this play could be so much better.

Michael Brindley