On the first day of their holiday, the mismatched crew of The Violet are forced to set sail once again, pushing further and further out to sea in their search for fish that will save their parent company from bankruptcy and thus ensure their futures. Bear Traps first production is a vital and engaging piece of theatrical brilliance that leaves you in your seat, shaken and stunned. It asks what love, family and loyalty mean today from a starkly original angle. The play advertises itself as six actors, five chairs, one table and an ocean this simplicity of set is one of the strongest aspects of the play. With no unnecessary clutter to distract from the characters, the stage is left free to be filled with their visceral energy, there is nothing for them to turn to except each other. The scene changes are smooth and almost dance-like, each one accompanied by a haunting sailors song sung in swelling harmony as they lift and shift the scant furniture to move from galley to skippers cabin to the bare deck of the ship.This is an ensemble piece in every way, yet no man is subsumed to the group, remaining vitally separate while tragically bound to one another. As they press further into the ocean and tensions mount, we see each character become more sharply defined against one another. Loud-mouthed Graham (Joe Darke) is in turns infuriating and genuinely likable, clashing against the wearied older Alan (James Jaggs), whose age and love for his wife set him apart from the rest. Dan Smiths performance as Welshman Rhys is powerfully conceived. While no character can be defined as one thing in this play, Rhys is a study in human complexity, and Smith draws out his rage, compassion and fierce feeling for what is right in a delicate, lilting accent. The character of Kerdzic could have descended into Polish immigrant stereotype, but Tom Bennett keeps him real and sympathetic. John (James Crocker) and Woods (Jesse Briton) show the complex relationship between skipper and first mate, a friendship being tested to the extreme. Darkly serious scenes are often lightened by a cultural misunderstanding or undercut by a well-timed joke or bathetic comment. This brings welcome relief as the play heads towards its devastating conclusion. Recent East 15 graduate Jesse Briton has produced a script that is near-perfect; without triteness or sentimentality it is both poetic and visceral. I cannot stress highly enough that you go and see this show this is not just an exceptional Fringe performance, but one that has broader significance in contemporary British Theatre as a whole.
