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Michael Cox reviews 'a production that is entertaining and uncomfortable in equal measures'.
Playwright Douglas Maxwell has a lot of fish to fry within his new play The Whip Hand. Themes of generational conflict, class, race, privilege and social responsibility dance about the stage, with the dramatic focus changing course practically every minute.
The set-up is mostly simple. Dougie has turned 50, and he is at the house of his ex-wife and her husband to celebrate. On hand are his daughter and nephew, and when the celebrations begin everything is light, cheery and good-humoured. But Dougie has prepared a speech—he’s received an email that has made him look at his life differently, and he wants to share. Things don’t go well.
The Whip Hand is a dramatic pressure cooker—the beginning clearly sets up who each character is and how they relate to one another before letting everything rip apart. Maxwell’s script cracks along at a brisk pace, and the balance between comedy and drama never teeters too far one way or the other.
And the ensemble work is terrific. The characters are compelling, with each individual not only having at least two moments to shine but coming across in multiple lights: sympathetic, interesting and (at least once for most of the characters) vile. There isn’t one stand-out performance because all five actors are equally terrific—whether you like the character or not.
Director Tessa Walker’s production is easy to invest in, even when it isn’t easy to watch. It might be a bit smug at times, and Maxwell’s script does overplay its hand in several scenes, but the dramatic action is relentless once everything kicks off, making for a production that is entertaining and uncomfortable in equal measures.
The Whip Hand is a Traverse Theatre Company and Birmingham Repertory Theatre co-production, in association with the National Theatre of Scotland. It performs at the Traverse until August 27—check website or programme for specific times as they vary. No performances on Mondays. The production transfers to Birmingham Repertory Theatre for a run from September 5-16.
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