Shrieks of laughter
Went to see a play called Shrieks of Laughter last night with A. It was written by N's brother Moses Raine and was in the Soho Theatre on Dean Street. It was very good actualy. A mixture of dark disturbing stuff and some very funny lines from interesting characters. Basically there is this young lad who is having hypnotherapy from a very strange therapist who is very agressive and religious. The scene at the beginning where this PSYCHOtherapist (in the Hitchcock sence of the psycho) is hypnotising the guy makes you really uncomfortable. Hestarts of basicalyt telling the patient he can do this the easy way or the hard way. Then he is commanding the patient to close his eyes telling him to go down into an abyss of a hundred year sleep and that Jesus will forgive all his sins. Its like he's being hypnotised into a cult and as he talks through the hypnotic induction you are scarred he might get you too. Freaky.
Next there are scenes where members of his family are talking about him sometimes conversing with eachother sometimes short monologues. The mother is a posh hippy and the father is a comedy bad tempered brigadeer type with a yacht (says it all). As the play procedes you discover why the poor chap needs therapy but I won't spoil the plot. The scenes involving the father blarting out various stereotypical right wing dad statements are very funny. The use of language is very clever and the set design and especially the sound effects were excellent and fitted the play really well. It would be a good idea to see it twice I think. Like the movies 'Fight Club' or 'The Usual Suspects' you could get lost really easily if your concentration dipped. Might go and see it again and fill in the gaps a bit.
As to which of the two Raine plays I preferred. That's a tough one. They are very different I thought but A did point out that there are some big similarities too. Both deal with altered levels of conciousness and there is the death of a parent in both and a parent with a large slightly overbearing personality in both. The style is very different. M's play had a much better set, sound and lighting but that was the theatre not the play. Both write dialogue really well in a way that people actually speak. I don't want to cop out and declare a tie so I will go for N's as I found it easier to follow and enjoyed the male characters fighting back (for once).
Next there are scenes where members of his family are talking about him sometimes conversing with eachother sometimes short monologues. The mother is a posh hippy and the father is a comedy bad tempered brigadeer type with a yacht (says it all). As the play procedes you discover why the poor chap needs therapy but I won't spoil the plot. The scenes involving the father blarting out various stereotypical right wing dad statements are very funny. The use of language is very clever and the set design and especially the sound effects were excellent and fitted the play really well. It would be a good idea to see it twice I think. Like the movies 'Fight Club' or 'The Usual Suspects' you could get lost really easily if your concentration dipped. Might go and see it again and fill in the gaps a bit.
As to which of the two Raine plays I preferred. That's a tough one. They are very different I thought but A did point out that there are some big similarities too. Both deal with altered levels of conciousness and there is the death of a parent in both and a parent with a large slightly overbearing personality in both. The style is very different. M's play had a much better set, sound and lighting but that was the theatre not the play. Both write dialogue really well in a way that people actually speak. I don't want to cop out and declare a tie so I will go for N's as I found it easier to follow and enjoyed the male characters fighting back (for once).
posted by Phil at 10:02 am
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