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Show: Killology
Society: Putney Theatre Company
Venue: Putney Arts Theatre. Ravenna Road, London SW15 6AW
Credits: by Gary Owen
Type: Sardines
Performance Date: 17/02/2022
Killology
Rehearsal image: Stee Vie L
Wow! … Non-professional theatre can be just as powerful as the big-budget productions. Perhaps musicals represent the biggest difference, but if non-professional companies have a creative director at the helm plus a strong cast then there is no reason why dramatic productions cannot be as good as the pros… Having said that, I didn’t catch Royal Court’s original run of Killology in 2017 (remember pre-pandemic!) so I havn’t got much to compare Putney Theatre Comany’s excellent studio production with this week.
Not that the evening’s subject matter was all that joyous. Gary Owen’s Killology joins the disturbing debate of online gaming and the potential connection between violent games and subsequent (and equally) violent crimes. To throw my hat into the ring, I believe that the subconcious is incredibly powerful and definitely has a connection – the human brain is more like a computer than we realise, and the subconcious mind shows that.
The three-hander introduces us to Alan, Davey and Paul – a trio of very well cast actors, courtesy of director, Ian Higham. Alan is Davey’s father and we soon realise that he intends to kill Paul, head of a software gaming company. Teenager, Davey, was killed when he was brutalised and murdered by a couple who played Paul’s similarly challenging video game. Owen skillfully swaps between the three stories so it takes a little time for the audience to understand exactly what is going on.
While Jerome Joseph Kennedy’s Alan and Morgan Beale’s Davey make a great estranged father and son coupling, Theo Leonard’s Paul is creepily smooth and sharp in equal measure. His lack of empathy comes across strongly and the audience quickly understands its dislike for the software designer. The second half produces a few red herrings to make the audience think. These include Alan, who shies away at the moment he is presented with the opportunity of killing Leonard, before the interval blackout. He imagines that Davey in fact survives his ordeal and goes on to fully recover while he eventually moves in with his son before passing away of Emphysema.
Alan and Davey’s complex relationship is very well played out by Kennedy and Beale, which is manifested during the act two imagination. Alan feels guilty that his son was killed and he wasn’t around to protect him. Also Davey, who now looks older than fifteen, does a great job of displaying his total honesty even when he recalls stealing a seven-year-old girl’s bicycle just before his demise. Equally, Paul – who has become very rich from his gaming success – talks about moving to America and taking his father with him, although he tells the tale with an uncaring air about him.
Higham has staged the trio in a booth-style structure which works particularly well when it comes to the interwoven monologue-style delivery.
Killology continues at Putney Arts Theatre until Saturday, 19 February. https://www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/event-3666190
Absolutely agree It was a brilliant show. Great acting good set and overall a most professional production