Road

C too, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Group: The Urban Spaceman Company

Shirley Dent

This production of Road is more faithful to Jim Cartwright's script than the Harland Hamstrings'. Indeed, it is a 'period piece', a recognisable slice of Thatchers' 80s. And it benefits from this. It feels and looks authentic. I had (oh the shame) a Ra-Ra just like that. The casual geezers with the turned-up collars and mullet hair-dos? I danced the slow dance with them down the Tottenham Ritzy c.1985 (the Ra-Ra skirt was matched by six-inch pink stiletto heels - oh the double shame!)

But it's very authenticity - and there were some terrific, some gut-wrenching performances from this young group made up mainly of sixth formers from Derby - also brought me smack up against my major gripe with the Harland Hamstrings' production: why are theatre companies - especially young theatre companies - returning to the 80s for a bite of reality? I want to hear what these young, talented, passionate people have to tell me about the society I live in today.

This was particularly brought home to me in one of the strongest performances. It is worth going to see this production for James Mousley's performance as Joey alone. In one of the most nihilistic 'protests' to be seen on and off stage, Joey and his girlfriend Clare, young and redundant, starve themselves to death because it is the only solution and 'there is no solution'. Nicola Harris touchingly portrays the naive despair of this with the innocent refrain 'Are we protesting Joey?' But it is James Mousley's Joey who pulls your heart out, with his anger, confusion and articulate nihilism.

And it is one of the reasons I am still thinking and I am still asking: is twenty year-old nihilism the best theatrical or political voice young people have today?

All articles on this site © Culture Wars.