Contains Violence

This is certainly a play unlike any other you’re likely to see this year. Presented with binoculars and headphone sets, the audience take their seats on the terrace of the Lyric Hammersmith and watch the action unfold in the office building opposite. This Hitchcockian arrangement is intriguing, and at times makes the whole experience utterly engrossing.

Director David Rosenberg (known primarily for his work with Shunt) makes voyeurs of his viewers, and cleverly ensures a very personal level of theatregoer engagement (I’ve never before felt so detached from the person sitting next to me).

Contains Violence is a story about loneliness, desperation and, unsurprisingly, violence. As a nameless office worker (Nigel Barrett) stays late to type his resignation letter, a solitary female co-worker (Lizzie Clachan) in the neighbouring building blows up balloons for no apparent reason. The narrator promises us that the two will meet, and when they do the result will be calamitous.

The only other character is Kim (Neil Edmond), an archetypal middle-aged loner with an androgynous name and equally androgynous tendencies. He acts as a go-between, spinning similar lines to both ‘man’ and ‘woman’ (as they are credited) in an attempt to boost his clearly flagging love life.

In terms of its staging, Contains Violence is undoubtedly innovative. The technical execution is admirable (my only complaint being a slight sound delay in the headphones), and the energy of Simon Kane’s narrator gets the evening off to a good start. But, after an hour has passed and the cold is kicking in (I pity those who go on a rainy night), no amount of clever staging can compensate for a story which fails to take off and is altogether underwhelming.

The focus shifts almost pointlessly between the two main characters as the narrative builds towards a conclusion that can only be described as anti-climactic. When the promised ‘violence’ does arrive, it’s slapstick and limp, and left me rather wishing the show hadn’t contained any at all.

There are high points, notably some great comic delivery from Neil Edmond, a stylish use of projection and a genuine feeling of audience intrigue that’s rarely found in more conventional settings. I laughed, and at times I was gripped, but the weak conclusion and lack of narrative cohesion meant that essentially, the substance was no match for the style.

– Theo Bosanquet