Vincent River, Old Red Lion Theatre, Theatre Review

At a time where reports of ‘gay bashing’ in the US are on the rise, and where even in cosmopolitan London last year 90% of gay people said they had experienced homophobic insults, the current theatrical revival at Islington’s Old Red Lion Theatre is a timely exploration of the issue.

Vincent River, by Philip Ridley, is a taut and powerful play about two strangers thrown together by a terrible event – the sadistic murder of a 33-year-old gay man (the eponymous Vincent River) in east London.

Davey, the 17-year-old who found the body, has been shadowing Anita, the mother of the murdered man, for eight weeks. Why is he following her? What is his link with Vincent? In their shocked states, they agree to share stories about each other, in an effort to try and understand what may have led to the killing and to come to terms with their own private emotions. While they learn more about Vincent, they also learn much more about each other as their relationship develops.

The plot is fairly straightforward and the audience is lead to believe that Davey will turn out to be the dead man’s lover or his killer - or both. However, the play has an emotional intensity due to compelling performances from both Debra Baker and Frank C. Keogh. The characters’ belief in the redemptive power of storytelling is challenged by the nature of the stories themselves, which expose family lies and dysfunction on both sides.

At the beginning of the 90-minute play, Anita is dominant; as the murdered man’s mother, she has the stories of Vincent’s early life which Davey is so eager to hear.  As the play progresses, however, we see them find an equal footing, and by the end Davey seizes control as only he can recount the story of what finally happened to Vincent. The gruesome story is given more impact as he does not just recount the story but acts it out, giving the audience the unsettling sense of being witnesses as well.

The writing is sparse, succinct; full of non-sequiteurs and stories going nowhere, with a glimpse of dark humour from time to time. And the play is well paced, leading the audience through light and shade. Just when the misery of the narrative is becoming too much, we are brought back; Anita (and it is always Anita) lightens the mood, makes a joke, shares an optimistic story from her past.

Baker as Anita is terrific, a wise-cracking, feisty woman who just about manages to hold back overt sorrow and self-recrimination. Her dogged resilience and humour mean that when she eventually crumbles, her final explosion of anguish is even more shocking.

Keogh is also first rate. His Davey is a defensive, confused boy-man, wanting to unburden himself to Anita, but at the same time hating her for allowing him to do so.  The flashbacks, which he acts out, never feel lurid or unnecessary and add a depth to the interplay between the characters.

The direction (by Gary Reid, who is also the play’s designer) places a lot of faith in his actors, and he is rewarded for doing so. He achieves this by a set that is bare, with minimal props and low-key lighting; and this lack of distraction allows the audience to concentrate on Anita and Davey as they act, and react, to the unfolding story.

The venue is perfect for this piece. The enclosed performance space is painted black and filled with cigarette smoke (both Anita and Davey smoke), to give an intensity and claustrophobia which is reflected in the heavy, choking grief of the protagonists. All in all, a powerful and thoughtful production.

Vincent River runs until November 27. Old Red Lion Theatre, 418 St John Street, EC1V 4NJ. Performances are Tues – Sat 7.30pm, Sat & Sun Matinees 3.00pm

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