REVIEW: Blackheath by Alex Bowen at the White Bear Theatre, Kennington 31 Oct - 4 Nov 2023

‘A sensitive display of difference between brothers’★★★

‘Did Michael Cassio, when you wooed my lady, Know of your love?’ Iago asks Othello, beginning the process of sowing the seeds of doubt regarding the honesty of his wife into his captain’s mind. Any synopsis I hear of that features rivalry between friends, adultery, and manipulation reminds me instantly of Shakespeare’s Othello, and reading the synopsis of Blackheath certainly draws the comparison in my mind. This sensitive play showcases the vast, manipulative chasm that can open up between brothers, and maintains Alex Bowen’s reputation as a key artist at the White Bear Theatre.

I must say that the White Bear Theatre is my favourite pub-theatre that I have visited to-date! The downstairs was wonderful and had a lovely atmosphere that was carried up into the theatre. We queued up the stairs and chatted excitedly as we piled into the sold-out performance.

Having seating on all four sides of the stage was perfect for this story - the characters, quite literally, face judgement at every turn, with nowhere to hide, even when they are ‘off-stage’. As soon as I walked through the pub door, before the show had even begun, and before I’d had a change to read the credits, I was very excited to see what was in store.

We meet brothers Mikey (Andrew Hawley) and Eddie (Barney White) and are instantly faced with a massive difference in emotional sensitivity. Their introduction initially feels formal and strangely conceived, but it soon becomes clear that there is something beneath the return of Eddie, something we must wait for, and we feel that chasm widening from the very beginning.

While Mikey's clipped responses to Eddie’s often outrageous comments are understood as a contrast, the character of Jo (Charlotte Brimble), whilst brilliantly acted, is introduced early, in an awkward relief of tension. From this very scene I was waiting for Jo to have an impact on either of the brothers, but this never came. Any anecdote she tells, about friends or work, for instance, fails to change the thoughts of the brothers, and her presence fails to change the course of the plot. It was such a shame to see her have no impact - there is even an instance towards the end of the play where she and Mikey are speaking, but he is looking directly at Eddie the whole time. Whilst I do understand that the focus of the play is the relationship between the brothers, I do not feel as though her stage presence was utilised well, and there were many instances where I wondered if her character was needed on stage at all.

Eddie is the character I enjoyed watching the most - upon returning home he sees his past stolen from him as his brother and his oldest friend enter into a relationship. His stage presence is rather intimidating throughout, especially around Jo, and he often moves around her in a way that is both threatening and in awe, credit to White and director Hamish Clayton for styling him in this way. Eddie is constantly a fascinating character to watch and comes out with things that are unexpected. I often wondered if his manipulation tactics were written to be subtle, or if Eddie was intentionally crass and articulated his emotional response poorly. Either way, it was suitably uncomfortable to witness, and was equally difficult to watch Mikey’s responses.

Although this show was moving in its themes, wonderfully performed, and well-conceived, for much of the show I was unable to see past how Jo’s character appeared to only get in the way. The best idea for me was watching how two brothers with completely different personalities dealt with loneliness, grief, and insecurity, and this was written, directed, and performed very well - ‘it’s like we’re from two different families.’

I would like to stress again how well cast, directed, and set this show was, and how impressed I was at the overall standard of presentation at the White Bear Theatre. Many thanks for the invitation.

Blackheath, by Alex Bowen, shows at the White Bear Theatre from 31st October - 4th November.

Directed by - Hamish Clayton

Reviewed by Seb Gardiner:

Seb studied English at Royal Holloway, University of London, and is now writing in London, Hampshire, and Manchester. He has written five plays, the most recent of which was performed in Manchester last year. He has co-produced two productions and reviewed shows for university publications.