The Country - Garrick Theatre - 28/01/10 by Julia Taylor

Mainly, although not entirely due to the writing, I was disappointed with Martin Crimp’s ten-year-old play which takes a new look at the eternal triangle.

The cast of three interact with one another in a series of unsettling and, at times, stilted duologues. The play features Richard, (John McElhatton), a supposedly upright General Practitioner who moves his wife, Corinne and their two children from the town to the country in search of peace.

But pastoral calm is a dream which never materialises. From the start Corinne (Ali Davenport) is at his throat after he has let an elderly person die. She is a nagger who seems determined to remove every ounce of masculinity from her beleaguered spouse.

Things get worse when he brings home Rebecca, (Sarah Roberts) a beautiful young American woman whom he has found unconscious beside the road. When she comes round, he is on a house call and Rebecca and the neurotic Corinne have a womanly chat.

Rebecca shows she is as hard as nails when she reveals Richard’s true nature to a wife who is already aware of it, and boasts of her relationship with him.

I like Sarah’s accent and the way she puts her soul into a totally unrealistic part. Due to the dialogue, John McElhatton’s Richard and Ali Davenport’s Corinne, do not come across as real people. Whilst a single woman might be deeply hurt if her partner refused to kiss her, wives would not make such a fuss and no spouse would ask her other half to have a shower before doing so.

It doesn’t ring true that parents would dump their kids for a night and a day simply to let their mother wander into the countryside saying such incongruous words as “The stone is devouring my heart” before celebrating her birthday the following day.

According to the programme, the theme is based on the game of scissors, paper and stone but this suggestion is a little too deep for me. Indeed the entire concept was above my head.

The play is well directed by Mark Butt who ensures seamless interaction between the scenes.