Love, betrayal and a blunt dissection on the male gaze
Labyrinth Production’s rendition of Closer recaptured for me the essence of cultural zeitgeist in the early 2000s. Their choice of a stripped back black box, set in the round was a delightfully bold choice. It gave a sense of these poor souls (the characters, not the actors) being trapped in the cycle of desperation, pity and betrayal. The use of white tape to ‘square’ off the floor and edges of the stage, mixed with the use of strobe effects tail-ended each scene as if it were a polaroid picture capturing each moment of their tragedy.
Alice, played by Catherine Claire Williams-Boyle gives almost fae-like qualities. Meaning, Alice’s exploration of other characters and her provocation to their emotions appears almost unearthly in how quickly she disarms and dissects people. Her arc gave me a strong impression of the ‘Muses’ of Greek myth, used and taken advantage of for personal gain and inspiration but never genuinely asked her needs. Even from the beginning you can sense the impending doom when meeting Dan, played by Vasco Faria. Vasco did justice to the character’s inability to attach himself fully to anyone, displaying the commentary of how the male gaze corrupts the perception of desire and in so doing, infects those that surround him. And the joke about being a failed writer is most certainly not lost of someone currently writing a theatre review…. Ultimately, I felt he played the cycle of masking pain with ugly desire well, but it left the ending a little less heartfelt as any baring of soul was counterpointed by unapologetic lust.
We are introduced to Anna, played by Vita Hamilton a character seeking attachment on her terms. Hiding being the camera we see her trying to control the narrative of her own life, but like all others in the play, falls victim to the imagined romance she could achieve. The detached and clipped performance of Anna gave her a level of assertiveness that did her introduction well. Coupled with moments of uncontrolled passion showed the cracks in her personality but felt too soft. Even in the climax of the first act, where a whirlwind of emotion is being kicked up, Anna felt somewhat muted, lost to the storm rather than partaking in it. Whereas her ‘on again’ ‘off again’ partner Larry, played by Robert Wolfreys felt more like the conductor of their personal misery. Larry was certainly one of the largest challenges to tackle. To the team’s credit, having a ‘20 something’ playing an implied ‘40 something’ is always going to be an uphill struggle. Robert found some beautiful moments of nuance with his character. The real difficulty came from those sections where Larry is to show his ‘world-weariness’ and lecture others on what love is.
Rose Morgan-Males made bold and interesting choices with how she staged this production, if you’re a fan of minimalism, then you can appreciate how not tangling themselves up with endless props and set kept the show slick and well-paced. Having scenes in different locations or time periods performed together at the same moment felt visceral and ramped up the tension well.
In conclusion, while I appreciate wanting to bring this production to a new generation, perhaps the show has lost a little of its shock factor in the 2020s. The use of excessive profanity certainly enhances the ridiculousness of modern society, though diminishes the characters more poignant moments. Some faults lie in the fact that perhaps the show did not fit the actors. I can truly see the work and passion they brought, giving an unbridled sense to these characters attempts to find love and control.