Repertory Theatre by Eldad Cohen is the debut play by the Israeli Elephant and Mouse production company. It stars Erez Drigues and Iftach Jeffrey Ophir and is currently on at the Tristan Bates theatre in central London as part of the Camden Fringe.
The hour long two-hander is set in a theatre, sorry, a repertory theatre, where Drigues is the flamboyant artistic director with a Hamlet obsession. Ophir is a young playwright who has brought his first script for Drigues to critique. A conversational duel takes place, standing in for more dangerous behaviour and echoing another relationship that has already existed in the past.
The stage holds a couple of chairs, a desk with an I love Mum mug and a tailor’s dummy wearing a Hamlet costume. These are relevant – we learn that the director has history with both the playwright’s father and mother. There are also two picture frames hanging near the back wall, behind which the cast can stand, giving the illusion of portraiture.
The two leads give strong and committed performances. Drigues brings a physicality to his role and, though he utters a lot of wild dialogue, keeps the character just this side of madness. Ophir switches between two characters with skill, the diffident playwright giving way to a more vibrant character half way through. Everything happens at speed and at high-pitch – the parodying of the theatre’s search for a successful play is particularly successful – the director’s suggestions to improve the script being pleasantly ridiculous.
Though the script can be repetitive it is also absurdist and has a clever, unexpected structure which allows the play to retread ground, bringing more clarity to what at first appear mere ravings. It is not laugh-out-loud amusing but if you like Hamlet it is aimed at you – the footprints of the inhabitants of Elsinore linger for you to spot in the dialogue and plot. Hurry though, it has been a short run and tonight (Saturday 9th) is the last night.
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