What I was expecting: A courtroom drama about a rape case, and the effect it has on the lawyers who are trying the case. A play that was going to be uncomfortable and confronting, but presented an important discussion into the way we think about “consent”.
What was presented: A dark comedy that looks at the breakdown of a housewife’s relationship with her husband. It was a deep and complex interrogation of the concept of truth, perspective and fidelity that had me laughing with and relating to the characters.
Although the play does follow a rape case, the case and the personal life of the barristers are quite disconnected. My two initial thoughts of how the performance would run were completely off; the barrister does not fall apart feeling guilty about getting a rapist off, nor does the play end with a guilty verdict that sets the world right again.
Instead, Consent looks at how being “technically right” through legal reasoning can work to ignore and deny the messy truth of reality. The audience is presented with everyone’s side of the story and refreshingly isn’t forced to agree with any one character’s perspective. Each is right. Each is wrong. Each is deeply flawed. Everything is thrown up in the air and allowed to settle with the audience wherever it falls.
The rape case in this performance is presented almost as a play within a play. It is used as a way to emphasise the unflinching and unmerciful reasoning of the law and the lawyers that use its logic. The lawyers hold all of the control, yet the victim Gail (performed in this production by Jessica Belle) resists their version of the truth. She refuses to become an actor in their play and demands to be heard.
In this production, the first act is performed entirely downstage, and a partition was placed in the middle of the stage and used as a “backstage” for the actors. However, lighting effects allowed the partition to become see-through at times, providing an eerie, foreboding, and ever-present reminder of the darker themes of the play.
The partition changes at the end of the first act, where Jessica Belle’s Gail tears it asunder. It’s a powerful choice of staging as Gail literally breaks that fourth wall down to get her truth across. With the partition broken, it’s as if all of the complex issues and emotional chaos that were so intensely avoided in this first act are allowed to flood in. And like a tsunami they do.
Cue act two. Every single actor came alive in this second act, revelling in their characters’ disturbed emotional states. In particular, Kitty (played by Anna Samson) became a woman unhinged. Statement costume pieces and strong sound design emphasised the power shift within the play, and Anna Samson skillfully portrayed the transformation from a doting housewife to a woman on a mission.
Another standout performance was delivered by Nic English in his portrayal of Edward. Whether he was cross-examining a rape victim, having a verbal spat with his wife, or cuddling a soft toy whilst crying like a small child, Nic English was an absolute pleasure to watch.
Outhouse Theatre Co‘s production of Consent tackles its heavy and dark themes seriously, whilst also making the audience laugh out loud as they do. The actors combined perfect line deliverance and expert timing amidst the thoughtful stagecraft making the production come together seamlessly.
This play is not as dark as the promotions and publicity might make you think, and I hope that anyone who has the opportunity to see it does. It was a thoroughly enjoyable performance from a very talented cast.
Consent runs for three more weeks Wednesday through to Saturday until the 24th of June.
This review also appears in On The House.
