Review: ROMANS: A NOVEL at Almeida Theatre

Starting in the Edwardian period where Empire explorers are the celebrities of the day, we encounter Jack (Kyle Soller, who dazzled previously in The Inheritance), Marlow (Oliver Johnstone) and later, Edmund (Stuart Thompson). The three brothers are born into a world where men and maleness dominate every aspect and endeavour, except those assigned or simply left to women. Following excoriating acts of physical and mental violence perpetrated by a schoolmaster (Jerry Killick), resentments fester between the siblings as notions of blame go unchallenged.

Jack the eldest goes off to war, eventually returning to his embittered drunken father (Declan Conlon) who has let the family home fall into disrepair and has encouraged his youngest son Edmund to assume a female role in the household to the point of donning his mother’s dresses. Marlow’s sadistic streak is given full rein as he embraces Empire’s capitalist opportunities, assuming overlord status as he hacks limbs from those who disobey him during jungle quests for mineral wealth and notoriety. Each of the men morph into new eras, tainted by, or occasionally attaining emotional and intellectual growth, as the decades pass.

Jack’s writings allow him to assume the status of cult leader at a ‘60s drug-taking hippy commune which comes under the scrutiny of a documentary film maker (Adelle Leonce). Later, in one of the tautest moments of the play, we see him battling with the notion of humility in the face of cancellation due to the harm he inflicted on acolytes (like Olivier Huband) and the lack of parental responsibility he demonstrated during the period (a sharply realised turn from Agnes O’Casey as his daughter, with joyously funny relief offered by Yanexi Enriquez as their waitress).

As might have been expected given the subject matter, there is a great deal of swaggering and posturing during the piece, reinforced by acerbic brutality and testosterone fuelled assuredness. But there is a great deal more besides - particularly reflected in Edmund’s self-doubt and profound lack of self-worth. The cast are uniformly strong in delivering challenging material on a frequently moving set by Merle Hensel requiring the expertise of experienced movement director Hannes Langolf.

Finally, it is perhaps a testament to the hypnotically transfixing source material, that this reviewer remained entirely focused on the stage for the entire near 3 hour experience, despite being sat next to Cate Blanchett on press night. Ahhh, the life of a theatre reviewer.

ROMANS A NOVEL continues at The Almeida until 11 Oct.