Phantom Owl | Bouquets & Brickbats

13/08/15

Basic Mountain, Venue 106, Hill Street, Edinburgh

Oh, but Phantom Owl are good. Really, they’re very good indeed: the kind of good that makes you want to raid the superlative cupboard and shower them with accolades.

After the glorious Fault Lines, our expectations are running high. This makes us nervous: what if we’re disappointed by the second of their shows? We’re not. If anything, Filthy Talk for Troubled Times is the stronger of the two; it’s a more intense, demanding piece, allowing this ambitious company the space to show what they can do.

We’re in a strip club, as close and complicit as the punters themselves, forced to bear witness to an unflinching exploration of the cruelty and misery gender-roles create. The joyless, transactional nature of human relationships is laid bare by the setting, where the veneer of glamour (exemplified by the topless dancer writhing sensuously on a pole as we enter) is soon worn away, exposing the ugly truth that lies beneath.

These are seriously top-notch actors, exhibiting a level of professionalism it’s rare to see at the fringe. Matthew Lillard’s direction is flawless too: the choreography looks effortless but is perfectly orchestrated; the atmosphere is tawdry and menacing – Neil LaBute’s script expertly brought to life. And what a script it is. Through a series of monologues, we are made privy to the inner thoughts of six disparate characters, and made to confront the unpalatable truths their bravado usually conceals.

Make no mistake, this is not an easy play to watch. There are instances of distinct discomfort, not least when Man 3 (a wonderfully brash Steve Connell) sits right next to us and tells us, laughing, of the time his friend raped two gay men in a park. He makes eye contact, inviting us to sanction the act, which – in a way – we do, smiling awkwardly back at him, rendered somehow powerless by the forces of social convention. It’s too tricky to dissent. This moment stays with me all evening, long after we have left the venue. Really, why did I smile?

Each character is fully realised, both by the script and the performances. These are real people, with all the faults and foibles real people have. The naturalistic acting style is beautifully undercut by the more stylised touches (the way the other characters move or speak in unison whenever Waitress 2 (Zibby Allen) speaks; the way Man 1 (Dean Chekvala) uses the others as models to illustrate his tales). This is ensemble work at its best: a real group endeavour with a lot to say about the way we live. It makes me care for the characters – and question my own world. And surely that’s what theatre is all about?

Phantom Owl is an exciting company, and I’m delighted we chanced upon them. If you see just one thing at the fringe this year, make sure it’s one of theirs.

5 stars

Susan Singfield

10/08/15

Basic Mountain, Venue 106, Hill Street, Edinburgh

One of the most exciting elements of the Edinburgh Fringe is that once in a while you will chance upon something unexpectedly brilliant: and this year, that accolade has to go to Phantom Owl’s superb production of Fault Lines, by Stephen Belber. Tucked away in a hard-to-find venue on Hill Street, the play, directed by Matthew Lillard (yes, that Matthew Lillard!) is a slice of intense Americana, superbly acted by a four strong cast to (at least on the night we visited) a frustratingly small crowd. This is powerful stuff that deserves to be seen by the biggest audience possible.

Bill (Dean Chekvala) and Jim (George Griffith) meet for drinks in a small room at the back of their local bar. Once the best of buddies, they haven’t seen each other in a while and are looking to reconnect. Bill is now happily married while Jim is still living a carefree life, enjoying commitment-free encounters with members of the opposite sex whenever the opportunity arises. The acting here is completely naturalistic; so much so you feel like you’re being given a sneak peek at two real-life characters. The mood changes with the arrival of a boorish stranger called Joe (Steve Connell). He quickly interposes himself into the conversation, insists on buying a round of drinks and starts asking inappropriate questions, many of which seem to revolve around Bill’s wife, Jess, (Zibby Allen) who is expected to turn up at any minute. The structure here is reminiscent of An Inspector Calls, though I have to say, this is a far more dynamic piece of theatre.

As the tension steadily builds, so the story becomes ever more intriguing and the rug is expertly yanked from under our feet, again and again. Who exactly is Joe? What is his motivation? And how does he know so much about the two strangers whose private party he has just gatecrashed? The explanation is something you surely won’t see coming.

If you enjoy riveting theatre, I urge you by whatever means possible to find your way to the oddly named Basic Mountain venue on Hill Street – you’ll have to look hard for it because it really isn’t easy to spot – and catch this superb production before the cast pack up their gear and head back to the USA, muttering darkly about wasted opportunities. There are shows currently playing to rammed houses that aren’t a patch on this little gem. There are more plays by the same company at this venue and you can be sure we’ll be seeing them, because Fault Lines is the first five star production we’ve seen at this year’s festival. Miss it and weep!

5 stars

Philip Caveney