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Gifts from The Morning Star
One Under, Arcola Theatre London
Characterisation submerged by concept in suicide drama lacking emotional engagement
HARD-WORKING: Reece Pantry and Clare-Louise English [Patrick Baldwin]

IN ONE Under, a paranoid young man unexpectedly throws himself in front of a train and those affected adopt contrary and sometimes conflicting mechanisms in order to come to terms with the tragedy in Winsome Pinnock’s reworking of her 2005 play.

Staged as a series of duologues between the characters before and after the suicide, it’s a play that never really ignites. The concept is fascinating but the characters rarely break free of the contrived dialogue and while the cast works hard to give their roles traction their lines frequently serve the theatrical conceit at the expense of empathetic characterisation.

Stanley Browne’s tortured train driver creates a fantasy around the dead boy that requires Shenagh Govan as his adoptive mother and Evlyne Oyedokun as her other adopted child to play along. Inevitably, tensions ensue.

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