Take a Greek tragedy, sprinkle it with some Martin McDonough and Quentin Tarantino, set it all in the South and West of the USA and you have this neo-gothic revenge tale, a black comedy with a horror comic book feel. Aleshea Harris’ play is derivative, but the concoction is also original. The production seems to revel in its lack of realism, every aspect exaggerated or amplified to add a level of absurdism / surrealism.
Young adult twins Racine and Anaia get a letter from the mother they thought was dead. They visit her to hear the story of how their father attempted to burn them all to death; her final wish is revenge, as a result of which they embark on a journey west where they mete out justice to their father’s new family, his wife and twin boys. When their father arrives things really get out of hand.
Everything about it – the performances, make-up, the sets, the violence – are pushed beyond the limit of realism, but there are still moments which make you squirm or turn your head. In a fine set of performances, Tamara Lawrence and Adelayo Adedayo as the twins, on stage virtually throughout, impress. It held my attention but it didn’t really satisfy me. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to make a point and if so what it was. I left feeling the play wasn’t good enough to be on the Royal Court main stage.
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