The Red at Original Theatre online

The Red begins in a wine cellar; it’s a one-set play that makes use of the entirety of the stage, including the fourth wall. Marcus Brigstocke’s latest production stars father and son Bruce Alexander and Sam Alexander, bringing to life the simple premise of the play: a man mourning his father’s death, and the sentimentality of having one last drink with him. The reading back of a letter acts as a catalyst for the father’s ethereal presence, and each line correlates with a fond memory between the two. But even further than that, the father is also a subconscious form of Benedict’s (Sam) inner struggle with alcoholism.

The play discusses addiction through Benedict’s dilemma between the significance of the wine his father left for him, and his inability to evaluate his own self-discipline when it comes to alcohol. “It’s a love affair,” he explains, and likens the experience of addiction to love being blind. These discussions are wrapped in production techniques to help create movement in the very small one-set stage. For example, callbacks to AA meetings are shot in front of the fourth wall, giving viewers at home a good view of the empty seats behind the two actors. This opens up the set and alludes to the presence of other alcoholics at the meetings. Furthermore, the cellar is lit dimly with the glow of yellow lights, but, once again, the AA meetings are differentiated – using the white wash of floodlights, the production takes away the warmth, comfort and privacy of Benedict’s intimate moment with his father.

There’s a lot of tension built in that one last drink of wine, aided by ominous piano music playing throughout. The piano is one of the most flexible instruments with its ability to set any tone a scene demands. Pairing the sanguine melancholy of the music with the wine surrounding Benedict enriches the metaphor for him missing his father amid his longing for alcohol. However, there are still some problems with the script, such as the ending revealing too much exposition, which dampens the emotional effect and makes the last few moments feel a little bit rushed. The Red provides plenty of context clues throughout the script for viewers to pick up on and explaining certain things is not at all necessary.

Mae Trumata
Photo: Tom Grace

The Red is at Original Theatre online from 16^th March until 16^th June 2022. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.