The Second Amendment Club
by Peter Morris
at C Underbelly (Venue 61), Edinburgh

Peter Martin

The first amendment guarantees the freedom to say anything you want.

But when everything and anything is being said, the meanings get lost and judgement becomes relativised. That is why we have the second amendment, to allow judgement to be enforced. In Peter Morris' new play these amendments to the American constitution are reworked through the mind of Martin D Roland, a disfunctional 18-year-old high school student from a broken suburban family. Martin is becoming an adult, but struggling to find an identity for himself. He has burned all of his childhood possessions, but now his bedroom is empty. He doesn't want his nickname 'Teen', but nobody knows his real name. He hates his stepmother. He communicates with nobody.

In his isolation Martin develops extreme views and a clinical hatred of humanity. Only through the internet does he let off his steam, and when this is taken away he reaches breaking point. Martin believes that nobody understands him, except himself. But the audience acts as Martin's own consciousness, and so he can tell them about himself knowing that they will understand and be sympathetic. The audience reacts to what Martin tells them, Martin then reacts to this, becoming more excited or more glum. The production and direction of this play are excellent. A superb performance by Ben Duhl as Martin makes this a thoroughly engaging production.