Review: “Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off…” Desperate Thespians’ and MU Drama’s Staging of ‘Closer’
On Wednesday the 5th of November, 2 other journalists for PubLit and I were invited by MU Drama Society to see a performance by their international partner troupe, “Desperate Thespians” from Siegen, Germany. They performed The Olivier Award winning ‘Closer’ by Patrick Marber, with the tagline “Caught in Newton’s Cradle: Sex, Truth and Illusions of Control.” I was intrigued right from the moment I sat in the front row, which was generously reserved for us by MU Drama’s committee.
The play centres around two couples, Dan, played by Joshua Burgmann and Alice, played by Fabienne Lichtenberger who both become increasingly romantically intertwined with Larry, played by Robin Hauschild-Nocker and Anna, played by Celina Schulte. To stage a play such as this, chemistry between the cast members is essential and the four actors certainly did not disappoint. As the cast received their well-deserved ovations it was hard to believe that they were merely playing a role and that they weren’t actually the cheating, conniving couples they had spent the last two hours embodying. This is in no small part due to how realistically the tense argumentative and sultry flirting scenes were performed, with all four actors displaying a range of emotions in a way that seemed natural and not as if they had been mechanically rehearsed for hours on end, showing the skill of the troupe as a group of actors.
The cast delivered Marber’s dialogue with expert timing, allowing the rhythm of conversation to flow casually as it would between two people who know each other intimately, while still maintaining the seething conflict that drives the play forward. A key highlight of the performance for me was Burgmann’s delivery of Dan’s lines. From the opening scene, it was apparent that Dan is very fond of himself and chooses to abuse the power dynamics between him and the younger Alice. With hubris oozing from his dialogue, the audience can hear how he enjoys being in control of the situation he has manufactured, contrasting this with his pathetic pleas during his failed attempt to seduce Anna during their first meeting, Burgmann reveals to the audience the master manipulator Dan truly is.
When focusing on the physical acting and stage directions, it should be noted how each actor's body language added depth to their respective characters, such as the changing of Larry’s stance from passive to assertive when speaking to Dan compared to when Larry is speaking to the female characters. Through this, the audience is shown how Larry sees Dan as a threat to his relationship with Anna, even before their confrontation at the climax of the story, or Anna’s hesitation to make eye contact during heated arguments, refusing to acknowledge her guilt, showcases to the audience key plot points and deeper characterisation through adept acting.
As for the stage production itself, the performance was held in MU’s own Aula Maxima, which was bustling with theatre-goers ready to see the narrative unfold, providing an intimate yet exciting atmosphere. Whilst the set dressing itself was minimalist, as there was very little space for elaborate set pieces (partly due to the tension between the four lovers devouring the stage entirely) that is not to say that there was a lack of effort put into the background of the scenes by the stage design team. An example of this was a scene that took place in an online chat room between Larry and Dan, who was pretending to be Anna to trick Larry. To visualise this complex scene, a text conversation that played in real time was projected behind the actors, whilst they simulated an exchange on 90s-style computers. Credit must be given to both the actors and backstage crew for the timing of this scene, as without any dialogue cues, they were able to work together to stage the unorthodox scene flawlessly.
What personally stood out most in this performance of ‘Closer’ was the sheer emotional intensity within every scene. All four actors inhabited their characters with such raw vulnerability that the audience could feel every flicker of pain, desire, and betrayal along with the characters. The emotional crescendo of the play came at the end of Alice’s final scene which started with tender acting between Schulte and Burgmann before going on a downward spiral of both revelation and rejection, as Alice falls out of love with Dan. Dan’s charming facade finally breaks as he strikes down Alice, the silent stare between the pair spoke volumes afterwards. Acting as a curtain call on all the secrets being kept. I found this a satisfactory catharsis for the play, as the truth inevitably caught up with the four characters, none of which end up with each other at its closing. This shows that both the audience and characters come to an acceptance together, allowing for a decently cohesive end to the narrative.
While the play and its themes weren’t what I expected at first, I was pleasantly surprised and can’t think of any faults that were unique to this production of ‘Closer.’ Everything, from the acting to the art direction was immaculate, and everyone who played a role in the making of this production should be proud of themselves.
Many thanks to MU Drama and its committee for extending the invitation to come and review this thoroughly enjoyable performance.
