Review: Death and the Maiden (The Other Room)

Fifteen years after she was tortured and raped by members of a now-defunct dictatorship, Paulina lives a more settled life with husband Gerardo. That is until a chance encounter brings Roberto Miranda to their house, a man she believes was one of her perpetrators.

Ariel Dorfman’s tense three-hander was a big success when it debuted at the Royal Court in 1991. With its intricate exploration of PTSD, gender politics and justice, the play is as timely as ever sixteen years later. But in choosing to stick so close to the script and not bringing the characters into the 21st century, Abdul Shayek’s direction is misinformed and outdated.

Most significant is Paulina. The strength of her resolve in the face of a horrific past should make Paulina a relatable character, but with only two real facets to her personality (doting housewife and gun-wielding lunatic), it’s impossible to do so. Lisa Zahra does her best, but she can only show flashes of brilliance in a two-dimensional role. The sexualisation of the character nullifies any sympathy and, at times, Zahra herself seems uncomfortable with the profanity on stage. Pradeep Jey is solid as the kidnapped doctor trying to prove his innocence, while Vinta Morgan’s performance as Gerardo is often grating and hammy. Sadly, it’s difficult to get behind any of the three characters and, with no-one to root for, the almost-two hour running time feels far too long.

Shayek does do a far better job overseeing the design, something he also excelled at in The Mountaintop, also staged by Fio at The Other Room last year. Ciaran Cunningham’s naturalistic lighting coupled with Dan Lawrence’s discordant score gives Death and the Maiden an unnerving ambience. Amy Jane Cook’s simplistic set is well-crafted, but Shayek fails to take advantage of her staging. The audience are seated on opposite sides of the auditorium with the actors in the middle but, despite that action being within touching distance, there’s a distinct lack of intimacy. A play so highly dependent on claustrophobia and discomfort shouldn’t feel so detached, especially in a venue like The Other Room.

It’s unfortunate that Fio’s follow-up to The Mountaintop pales so much in comparison. Shayek’s choice of text can’t be faulted, but his interpretation of Death and the Maiden is poorly handled. There are certainly positives to pick out from this production, namely the design and Zahra’s performance, but those positives are burdened by a misguided vision.

Death and the Maiden runs at The Other Room Theatre until Sunday 10 November 2017.