Pool (No Water)


 Pool (No Water) is a notoriously difficult play to perform. Written by Mark Ravenhill, it follows a group of three artists coping with the aftermath of a tragic accident suffered by their friend. They turn her terrible injuries to their advantage, by creating a piece of art that will potentially be their big break.

This is a hard-hitting drama, but also an almost philosophical examination of the nature of art, performance and morality. It’s bitter, sadistic and often painful to watch, and there are moments of spectacular power in Bell Jar’s production.

The play is all about pace; it has to be tightly controlled to have an effect on the audience. The language that Ravenhill utilises makes this a significant challenge, with poetic, raw and often crude dialogue throughout. Overall this production doesn’t quite get the rhythm right, and the performers’ diction isn’t good enough for the pace they attempt. They need to slow down the opening, and give themselves room to make the plot clear and controlled before building up to the climax.

The performers have excellent moments, and all are competent. Freddie Hall is the stand-out, although his diction slips significantly in his shouts. It’s still early in their run, and hopefully this will improve as confidence is built.

The style that Emma Chapman (director and producer) attempts is almost Berkovian and has definite Total Theatre influences throughout. Generally speaking this works well, however it is absolutely vital that the piece is slowed down; they’ve still got at least ten minutes to play with before reaching the end of their time slot at Roxy. With more control and pacing this could be incredibly powerful, and I genuinely believe this company have great potential. 


– Chris Wheeler