“High-caliber performances anchor this sharp, if occasionally inconsistent, triple bill”
Neil LaBute’s America The Beautiful: Chapter 1 makes its UK debut at the King’s Head Theatre. Comprising of three thirty-minute plays written over the past decade for the LaBute New Theater Festival in the US, the collection offers a searing, albeit varied, look at the darker side of the human condition. While the plays are distinct, they are expertly linked by an underlying exploration of psychopathy and sociopathy, moving from the visceral and sinister to the unexpectedly absurd.
The success of the evening rests heavily on the shoulders of a stellar cast. Across the board, the performances are on fine form, but it is Borris Anthony York who takes on the night’s most difficult task. As the only actor to appear in two of the three plays, York is required to inhabit two drastically different personas. He manages this feat with remarkable ease, remaining entirely believable as he shifts from the high-tension opener as a flamboyant and very feminine man, to the haunting masculine stillness of the second piece.
The first play, Hate Crime, is a masterclass in building a slow-burn mystery. Set in a hotel room where one of the men is staying, the atmosphere is thick with a palpable frisson of sex and danger. Over the course of thirty minutes, the true nature of their relationship and plans are meticulously revealed, keeping the audience on their toes throughout. Liam Jedele plays opposite York here, bringing a volatile and dangerous energy to every moment. His performance ensures the tension never sags, making the room feel increasingly claustrophobic as the stakes rise.
The momentum stumbles slightly with the second play, Kandahar. The piece features York alone and unmoving at a table for the full duration. While this is an undoubtedly impressive display of discipline and vocal acting, the script itself feels relatively uninspiring compared to the rest of the program. The narrative trajectory becomes obvious quite early on, and the story begins to meander through to a finish rather than driving home a point. An attempt to inject some visual flair, a rather cliched red lighting wash at the mention of blood and violence, felt simplistic and obvious. While Kandahar serves as an excellent vehicle for York to display his considerable acting chops, it remains the weakest link of the three.
Fortunately, the evening recovers brilliantly with the final play, The Possible. A complete tonal shift from the grittier, violent descriptions of the previous pieces, this play is a total delight. It is deranged, hilarious, and weirdly moving, ensuring the audience leaves the theater on a genuine high. Maya-Nika Bewley and Anna María play opposite each other with brilliant chemistry, navigating a clever and eccentric piece of writing that is expertly performed. It is a testament to the curation of the evening that it can pivot from such darkness to something so uniquely spirited.
In conclusion, while the night offers a somewhat mixed bag in terms of script strength, the high quality of the acting and the impact of the bookending plays make this production well worth seeing. It is a fascinating, if unsettling, journey through the American psyche.
America The Beautiful: Chapter 1 is playing at the King’s Head Theatre until March 14th. The cycle continues with Chapter 2, featuring three new plays, from March 16th–21st, before Chapter 3 moves to the Greenwich Theatre from March 31st–April 4th.