Camden New Journal - Theatre: Blue Funk

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The Review - THEATRE by NATALIE LI
Published: 11 October 2007

Generations clash in tale of gritty estate life

BLUE FUNK
Old Red Lion

THIS sinister yet compelling social commentary from Weaver Hughes Ensemble and Shared Property Theatre Company will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Shock, unease and gritty social realism are on offer in this tight 50-minute drama, set in a rundown block of flats somewhere in an urban estate.
Opening with the smooth crooning of Frank Sinatra, elderly couple Alf and Irene (Stephen Ley and Maggie Stride) take the stage.
But appearances deceive. Despite the touches of comedy throughout, something sinister lies at the heart of this exploration of the divide between young and old.
Alf and Irene are pushed to the edge of reason as they clash with drug-fuelled neighbours Greg and Alex and young Chanel, a mouthy 14-year-old girl living on the estate. After their dog is cruelly murdered, their true colours come out.
With unhinged insistence, the couple set about teaching the three youths a lesson – at one point stripping Greg naked, making the emptiness and disillusion of his life seem even more palpable.
From calm and collected beginnings, Stephen Ley and Maggie Stride ratchet up the pressure superbly as the angered couple who have suffered one injustice too many. No one in the audience seemed the least prepared for the terrifying conclusion.
Director Steve Hubbard offers a scary and contemporary slice of realism in Blue Funk. Generations clash; violence is prevalent.
If this is anything to go by, I anticipate future productions.
Until October 20
020 7837 7816

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