Rat King Gospel
★★★☆☆ Uneven
theSpace on The Mile (Venue 39): Sun 4 – Sat 24 Aug 2024
Review by Hugh Simpson
Cup of Teatre and New Celts’ Rat King Gospel at theSpace on the Mile is an initially intriguing production that ultimately fails to deliver much insight, despite some fine acting.
Rachel (Rebekah Clark), the author of a successful series of children’s books about the Rat King, encounters her old schoolfriends Finlay (Daniel McIntosh Brammer) and Helen (Hannah Smit) at a book signing at the Inverness branch of Waterstones.
The cast of Rat King Gospel. Pic: Iain Davie
Rachel’s creation of the Rat King was originally derived from a shared fantasy the three of them had, of a figure that would mete out justice to those who harmed them. The most egregious offender was Mr MacKenzie, the violent headteacher at their High School near Loch Ness. Exactly what happened to Mr MacKenzie has never been fully made clear – until now.
Although the poster says this is a new play by Donna Soto-Morettini, the programme simply says it is based on an idea by Hannah Hewer. There are some important things being said here about friendship, childhood, morality, life and death, but the play proceeds awkwardly at times. Exposition comes in clumps, or through characters telling each other things they already both know.
There is also a peculiar lack of economy; even in such a short play, there is a great deal of repetition. There are some moments of political gossip that seem off-handedly thrown in. The play’s fourth character, the bookshop manager played energetically by Samuela Noumtchuet, dominates the first few minutes then simply disappears.
committed
The performances are always committed, however. Each of the three main characters is shown as being needy in their own way. Clark portrays an outwardly successful person who suffers from feeling that they got where they are through luck and is now trapped by expectations of having to repeat a formula.
Smit’s ‘fixer’, who wants to help other people whether or not they ask for help, and who will sell her services as a political adviser to whoever is paying, is a very cleverly pitched characterisation, outwardly content but clearly floundering underneath. McIntosh Brammer’s Finlay, meanwhile, is frighteningly nihilistic, apparently cynical but weighed down by grief and guilt.
Evelina Karjalainen’s direction is lucid and means that the odd rhythm of the storytelling is largely smoothed out. Becca Donley’s technical work is impressive, with some particularly effective lighting.
The production may be somewhat slight and not wildly original, but is still deeply felt and performed with conviction.
Running time: 45 minutes (no interval)
theSpace on the Mile (Space 3), 80 High St, EH1 1TH (Venue 39)
Sunday 4 – Saturday 24 August 2024
Even dates only: 1.45pm
Details and tickets: Book here
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The cast of Rat King Gospel. Pic: Iain Davie
ENDS
