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| Edinburgh : A&E : Theatre: Reviews |
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Cold Playwright - Peter Straughton Director - Rachel Ashton Designer - Andrew Wood Lighting Designer - Dave Hill Composer - Olly Fox Musicians - Robin Panter, Andrew Berridge, James Slater and Kennedy Leitch Company - Ashton Group www.ashtongroup.co.uk Venue - Traverse Theatre 10 Cambridge St 0131 228 1404 Dates - 10 and 11 November at 7.30 pm then tour continues details at end of review Reviewer - Ksenija Horvat haunting music, intelligently written script, powerful performances Voiceover, tai c’hi, live musicians on the stage. Some or all of these techniques have been used in performance many times before with various success. Why, then, would you venture into a cold Scottish night to see it? The answer is because it is good. If you want to experience a truly challenging piece of theatre by a young theatre company get in gear and come to Traverse tonight. For two nights only, The Ashton Group Contemporary Theatre is presenting Cold, a new play by Peter Straughton. It is a play about physical, emotional and mental imbalance as four young men and their doctor struggle to understand the line between ‘normality’ and deviance. Peter Straughton calmly explores the dark world of human desires against the backdrop of the black and white world poignantly designed by Andrew Wood. With Rachel Ashton’s sensitive direction, four young highly animated actors portray the patients engaged in the precarious games of love, hatred and self-denial, under the wary eye of John Hall’s Dr Hersh. Phill Gregg excels as necrophiliac Rouben, filtering his fear from relationships with people through writing a follow-up book to Frankenstein, while engaging in clever word games with Dr Hersh. Andrew Fullard’s insightful portrayal of Kellor, whose guilt-ridden victim complex makes him suicidal, cannot leave you unmoved. Christian Hill is daunting as Grass whose game of manipulation hovers over the group. Above all, one must mention Paul Jenkins whose outstanding performance as Stark is central to this composite piece. At the heart of all hopes, wishes, desires and fears in this play is music. The presence of a string quartet on the stage adds to the haunting atmosphere, as the ultimate expression of the protagonists’ emotions, perhaps a possible answer to their respective dilemmas. So, let’s summarise: haunting music, intelligently written script, powerful performances. What else is there to say? Go and see this piece. Go and see this piece. Go and see this piece. © Ksenija Horvat 10 November 2001 Tour details 28 Sept Live Theatre Newcastle 0191 232 1232 1 Oct Forum 28 Barrow in Furness 01229 820000 5 Oct Arena Theatre Wolverhampton 01902 321 321 6 Oct Stanwix Theatre Carlisle 01228 534664 10 Oct Theatre in The Mill Bradford Uni 01274 233200 12 & 13 Oct Contact Theatre Manchester 0161 274 0600 21 Oct DAG Studio Theatre Dewsbury 01924 465647 10 and 11 November Traverse Theatre Edinburgh 0131 228 1404 14 Nov at 8pm Nuffield Theatre Lancaster University 0800 028 3042 20 Nov at 8pm Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal 01539 725133 End of tour
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