London Fields is a shock to the system that reminds its audience of the thin line between vulnerability and violence.
London Fields is a gut-punch. D.K. Mack’s two-hander is an exceptionally told and exceptionally disturbing portrait of how the seeds of radicalism are slowly sown. Mack’s script complicates the tangled knot of xenophobia in England, and depicts the insidious ability of nativism and bigotry to warp humanity and identity. It is profound, but not for the faint of heart.
London Fields stars Dennis Matsikas as Luka, a Polish immigrant living in East London in the aftermath of Brexit. Luka tells his story directly to the audience, swaying across the stage with increasing ferocity as he crushes beer can after beer can. Luka is deeply flawed and deeply human. Mack is not afraid to create a character that is both sympathetic and villainous, and Matsikas gives a tour de force performance. His commitment and delivery of what is almost an hour-long monologue is fully embodied and terrifyingly visceral, especially impressive when played to a small audience.
Luka’s world revolves around the axis of dominant British culture. He measures his worth in English validation and calculates the significance of an experience based on the intensity of his belonging or alienation. In especially euphoric moments, Luka wraps himself in his sole on-stage belonging: an English flag. His desperate need for the approval of his adopted homeland is brilliantly mirrored in his desperate need for the approval of his proper British mate, Callum. But xenophobia is always there, casting its shadow across Luka’s life, even as his role within it changes. On any given day, Luka might experience or commit a hate crime.
Eventually Luka’s story becomes a chronicle of a former romantic relationship with a fellow Polish immigrant named Paulina. Despite their shared background, the partnership between Luka and Paulina slowly breaks down over their polarised relationships with England. Paulina sees Luka’s assimilation attempts as futile and finds his faith in his belonging misguided.
Paulina, played by Marianne Glafka, is on stage sparingly but her perspective is critical and provides something of a framing device for the play. Glafka is not the star, but beautifully carries the play’s emotional core. With her poise and stoicism, she reminds the audience of the human cost of Luka’s descent, and the millions of real-world descents like his. London Fields subtly suggests that for all they share, Luka suffers the comorbidity of toxic masculinity, from which Paulina cannot save him.
The opening of London Fields immediately foreshadows a tragic ending, but the play maintains its central mystery until its final moment. Mack’s script unfolds as a thriller. Only after 60-minutes of rising suspense does it offer the devastating reveal.
London Fields is disturbingly relevant and gravely serious, but full of darkly humorous moments. It’s a valuable addition to the artistic conversation surrounding identity, and the role of violence and masculinity. Despite the plethora of contemporary art focused on xenophobia, white nationalism, and the politics of immigration policy, London Fields stands out in terms of quality, insight, and ability to turn the expansive into the personal. It is not a spectacle, just a feat of writing and acting that localises some of the most vital questions of the moment into a minimalist portrait of a single man onstage with a single chair.
London Fields is on at The Courtyard Theatre as part of Camden Fringe Festival through 20 August. Tickets are available at https://camdenfringe.com/
Duration: 60 mins
Price: £13
Suitable for ages: 18+