Gareth's Culture and Travel Blog

For Annie Baker’s last UK premiere, Circle Mirror Transformation, the Royal Court sent us to a sports centre in Haggerston. For this, the National have built a 110-seat cinema on the Dorfman stage!

If you read the programme in advance, as I did, you’ll be expecting a play about the transition from 35mm film to digital and the negative consequences of it. Well, that is the backdrop to the piece, but it’s much more about the relationships between the three principal characters and the back stories of two of them. Every scene – and there are many in its 3-hour playing time – takes place in the cinema auditorium between screenings and at the end of the day, as the three cinema staff  clean between the rows and talk. We glimpse into the projection room through small windows high up the back wall. There is a lot of silence.

The strength of the play is the characterisations. These are fascinating, very real people. At first I wasn’t sure I would stay the length, but it somehow draws you in and captivates you – but for me, the people rather than the technological change. You learn a lot about them as you peer into their lives, somewhat voyeuristically. I became enthralled and it didn’t feel its length.

Matthew Maher and Louise Krause, as Sam and Rose, both of whom have come with the play from New York, are outstanding, and they are joined by Jaygann Ayeh, who is terrific as the third principal character Avery, and Sam Heron in two supporting roles. There is an uber-realistic design from David Zinn and impeccable direction by Sam Gold.

I predict this is going to divide people; the number of empty seats after the interval testifies to that. I surprised myself by not being one of them!