The Suicide, theatre review: Crude take on caustic vision

This is a rambunctious portrait of a society in which opportunities are constantly squeezed. Nadia Fall’s production is full of inventive ideas but never finds its rhythm, says Henry Hitchings
A sea of caricatures: the cast of The Suicide
Johan Persson
Henry Hitchings19 April 2016

Nikolai Erdman's play, which dates from 1928, is a caustic vision of misunderstandings and the seductive power of language.

Here, given a streetwise spin for the YouTube generation by former Hollyoaks writer Suhayla El-Bushra, it’s a rambunctious portrait of a society in which opportunities are constantly squeezed. But it veers uncomfortably into the realm of pantomime.

Sam hasn’t worked in years and has lost his benefits. When he contemplates killing himself, he’s caught on film. The clip goes viral, and every local chancer rushes his way, hoping to gain from the publicity.

One character wants to use him to boost the profile of her voguish café, while another decides that their friendship can be transformed into chart-topping rhymes. There’s plenty here that lends itself to satire — politicians who’ll do anything to engineer a juicy media opportunity, the vacuous nature of breakfast TV, the delusions of music stars who lose sight of their roots the moment the money starts rolling in. Yet the targets are swamped by the relentlessly unsubtle humour.

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1/50

Nadia Fall’s production is full of inventive ideas but never finds its rhythm. Though there are some decent laughs — as when Paul Kaye’s parasitic filmmaker unfurls a bizarre explanation of why he’s got Margaret Thatcher tattooed on his stomach — structurally and aesthetically it’s a mess.

Amid a sea of caricatures, Javone Prince’s Sam has a gruff charisma, and there’s vivid support from Rebecca Scroggs and Ashley McGuire. But given the explicit desire to afford a voice to a genuinely diverse community of artists, this is a disappointingly crude and patronising show.

Until June 25, National’s Lyttelton (020 7452 3000)

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