Zach Helm’s mesmerising portrait of mental illness and literary inspiration is a compulsively watchable but deeply disturbing play too, one of those rare dramas that engage, provoke and unsettle but undeniably haunt you long, long after they finish
Acclaimed actor John Malkovich is making his London directorial debut here in Kingston and what a coup it is to have him stage the production’s first English-speaking version of a quintessentially New York play here rather in the West End. As the play opens twenty-something Jack is on the cusp of major literary success, his first book touted as the next big thing but it’s a bittersweet success; his wife Annie, to whom he’s devoted, is mentally unwell, a bulimic speed addict and a woman who’s clearly unravelling.
In conjunction with set designer Pierre-Francois Limbosch Malkovich has constructed a production that is vibrantly colourful, often surreal and always eminently watchable. Limbosch’s stage set - which consists of three panels onto which images are projected and which slide seamlessly through each change of scene- is the perfectly conceived backdrop to the unfolding drama, Annie’s fluctuations of mood brilliantly mirrored by the design. When she cleans the house high on amphetamines the size of the windows shift to reflect her perception and clothes rails whizz across the stage emphasising her heightened awareness.
Everything about this production oozes style and it’s happily backed up by substance, in the shape of a first-rate cast led by Harry Lloyd as the grounded and sensitive Jack who’s desperately trying in vain to shield his wife from herself. And Freda Mavor is outstandingly good as the troubled Annie, fiercely intelligent but still clearly reeling from the effects of childhood sexual abuse. She’s the canary of the title, caged but longing for liberation. Manically energetic and both vulnerable and defiant, she is utterly persuasive as a girl in the throes of addiction, her downward spiral unwatchable in its conclusion.
Unexpectedly there’s much black humour evident in the play too, from Ilan Goodman’s memorable turn as Jeff, the quasi-conscientious drug dealer concerned about the copious amounts of drugs Annie is buying to Steve John Shepherd’s febrile Charlie, Jack’s intense agent who’s banking all his hopes on a major book deal. All the cast are excellent and Malkovich’s assured direction brings out every nuance of a painful but superbly realised play.
Make sure you check out our interview with John Malkovich where he talks about his artistic vision for Good Canary
Good Canary will be showing at the Rose Theatre until October 8. To buy tickets visit rosetheatrekingston.org
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